When the internet goes down, most businesses stop: no email, no card or mobile money confirmations, no cloud systems. Choosing the right connection, and a backup, is one of the cheapest ways to protect a working day. Here is how fibre and Starlink compare, and when it makes sense to have both.
Fibre: the best choice where you can get it
Fibre runs a physical cable to your building. Where it is available and well installed, it is usually the most consistent connection you can buy: fast, with low delay, and not affected by weather. It is ideal for offices that rely on video calls, cloud systems and large file transfers.
- Best for: offices in areas with good fibre coverage.
- Watch out for: availability outside major areas, waiting times for installation, and outages when cables are damaged by road works or construction.
Starlink: fast internet almost anywhere
Starlink is satellite internet from SpaceX, using a network of low-orbit satellites. It has been available in Ghana since 2024. You need a dish with a clear view of the sky and power; there is no cable to wait for. That makes it a strong option for sites, farms, lodges, schools and new offices outside fibre areas.
- Best for: locations fibre does not reach, temporary sites, and as a backup line.
- Watch out for: obstructions such as trees, walls and water tanks, which cause dropouts; very heavy rain can briefly reduce speed; and a poorly placed dish performs far below its potential.
Why many businesses now use both
In 2024, damage to undersea cables off West Africa caused widespread slowdowns and outages in Ghana. Businesses with a second, independent connection kept working. Fibre and Starlink fail for different reasons, so together they make a reliable pair.
With a dual-WAN (two-connection) router, your network uses the main line and switches to the backup automatically when it drops, then switches back when it returns. Staff usually notice nothing more than a short pause.
How to choose
- Check what is available at your address: fibre, fixed wireless, mobile data, Starlink.
- List what must keep working during an outage: payments, phones, email, cloud systems, CCTV.
- If fibre is available and you can’t afford downtime, use fibre as the main line and Starlink or mobile data as automatic backup.
- If fibre isn’t available, use Starlink as the main line with mobile data as backup.
- Whatever you choose, have it installed properly. Neat cabling, a secured dish and a well-configured router matter as much as the connection itself.
Cliq sells and installs Starlink kits and accessories, sets up dual-WAN failover with your existing line, and looks after the network afterwards. If you’re not sure what fits your site, call our Starlink line and we’ll talk it through.
Written by the Cliq I.T Firm team. Questions about your own setup? Ask us on WhatsApp.