Lodestar Networks announces LTE and business services, with orders planned by the end of 2026

Lodestar Networks has announced plans for an expanded range of LTE, business communications and network services, with options for businesses, community sites, hobbyists, learners and IT providers. Lodestar plans to open orders for the new services by 31 December 2026.

All new services are currently coming soon. Enquiries are welcome, but orders, number transfers and deposits are not yet being accepted. Published prices and features remain provisional. Detailed launch specifications, supported configurations, service terms and final pricing will be confirmed before orders open.

Commercial Lodestar mobile coverage for buildings and sites

Lodestar indoor and site coverage packages would connect customer-owned radio equipment to Lodestar's existing shared commercial mobile core. They are intended for supported Lodestar SIMs and eSIMs, including staff handsets in offices, workshops, shared workspaces and other assessed locations.

The starting prices cover radio supply, standard configuration, testing, core activation and a short remote handover for a supported setup:

Package	Radio supply and setup	Monthly core access
Lodestar Indoor 1, one NeutrinoE224 cell	From £495	£10
Lodestar Indoor 3, three NeutrinoE224 cells	From £1,295	£20
Lodestar Indoor 6, six NeutrinoE224 cells	From £2,495	£35
Lodestar Nova230i Pro, one directional sector	From £1,995	£10
Lodestar Nova442i, one omnidirectional radio	From £3,795	£10

Customers purchase the supplied radios outright. These prices assume suitable existing power and compatible backhaul. Physical installation, additional gateways, power or PoE equipment, cabling, mounting, surveys and specialist access will be itemised separately where required. Standard Nova radio delivery is included; E224 delivery is charged at actual cost.

E224 cells would be positioned around agreed indoor rooms or floors. The Nova230i Pro's directional antenna and Nova442i's internal omnidirectional antenna provide other design options where the site and spectrum authorisation support them. Extra radios, sectors and mixed-radio layouts will be quoted individually.

Planned services include data, VoLTE calling and SMS on supported devices. The radio, firmware, core, SIM and handset combination must be validated. A multi-cell design needs suitable timing, cell identities, neighbour relationships, interference checks and handover configuration. Quotations will identify any additional design work and onsite acceptance tests.

Monthly charges cover access to Lodestar's existing shared commercial core. Mobile SIM subscriptions and usage are separate. Additional configuration changes, site support and engineering will be quoted at the published business-hours engineering rate, currently £65 per hour. The core-access fee does not include a monthly allowance of remote changes. Supported users, traffic allowances, core maintenance, fault reporting and service terms will be confirmed before ordering opens.

These packages do not provide coverage for every mobile operator. Radio counts, antenna patterns and transmitter ratings do not guarantee a building size, range or capacity. Outdoor proposals require separate assessment and suitable authorisation. Supported calling features and emergency access arrangements will be confirmed before launch.

Private LTE for controlled device access

Private LTE is a separate service model for organisations that want a network for their own compatible devices. Potential uses include workshop and warehouse handhelds, scanners, machines, telemetry gateways and application testing. Camera traffic and push-to-talk applications require capacity and compatibility checks, with application licences scoped separately.

Local-core packages include a specified core computer and customer-owned site equipment. Hosted alternatives reduce the initial price and add recurring core access and management:

Private LTE package	Local-core installation	Hosted-core installation	Hosted monthly service
Compact, one NeutrinoE224 cell	From £1,995	From £1,495	£49
Starter, one Nova230i Pro sector	From £3,795	From £3,295	£99
Omni, one Nova442i radio	From £5,995	From £5,495	£149

Compact is intended for a defined indoor data application with modest traffic requirements. Its proposed installation includes one tested E224 cell, the agreed gateway and PoE supply, straightforward mounting, a short cabling allowance and LTE data acceptance tests. The local option adds the specified core computer and agreed backup or power-protection provision.

Starter and Omni provide different radio and antenna choices. The survey will determine whether a directional sector, an omnidirectional radio or a separately quoted multi-cell design suits the application.

Local-core customers receive the agreed software, administration and restore handover. Ongoing management is optional, and the local core remains usable when that optional service ends within the agreed equipment and software terms. A hosted core requires working backhaul; its quotation will explain subscriber controls, routing, service limits and the effects of losing that connection.

Optional Starter management is £99 a month, including monitoring, managed core-configuration backups, scheduled tested updates and 30 minutes of remote changes. Omni management is £149 with 60 minutes of remote changes. These charges include the core service when the hosted option is selected. Compact's £49 hosted package has its own defined business-hours scope.

The private-network baseline is LTE data. Voice, messaging and complex application integration require separate assessment.

Hobby LTE for enthusiasts, learners and small labs

For hobbyists, learners and small labs, Lodestar plans to sell used Baicells Neutrino 220 Band 40 femtocells outright for £70 each. The package is intended for learning how LTE radios, SIM registration and core configuration work, experimenting with subscriber records, and testing compatible devices and applications. Each sale will identify condition, supported firmware, test results, accessories and warranty arrangements.

Own-core configuration is proposed at £149 for one agreed operating system or VM specification, one known supported cell and up to two hours of setup and handover. Customers supply the compatible computer or VM and operate the core themselves. Additional work is separately scoped.

Alternatively, £49 shared-core setup covers one supported radio and up to 30 minutes of templated activation and verification. The proposed £10 monthly service includes one cell and five SIM records for LTE data on Lodestar's existing shared core.

The entry service is self-service. Fair-use and traffic allowances, subscriber controls and support procedures will be published before ordering. It does not include unlimited engineering or a business service-level guarantee. A separate VM or isolated core instance is a different configuration, subject to its own specification, isolation testing and quotation.

Labs need suitable power, backhaul, compatible devices, SIMs and appropriate spectrum authorisation. Innovation and Research or Demonstration and Trial licences may suit an agreed test or demonstration, subject to their conditions. They do not establish authorisation for a permanent operational service. Hosted access depends on the site's connection and does not include commercial mobile roaming. Voice and messaging integration can be assessed separately.

Business Voice for small teams

Lodestar's proposed hosted Business Voice service uses supported phones and apps over the customer's existing internet connection. Each account includes one shared standard UK number, with an extension for each paid user.

Business Voice 100 is proposed at £4.50 per user per month with 100 standard UK minutes. Business Voice 500 is £9.50 with 500 minutes. Business Voice 1000 will be quoted individually, with its allowance, capacity and configuration stated in the proposal.

Planned features include voicemail to email, caller display, hold, transfer, call pickup, internal extension calls, business-hours routing and ring groups. Call menus and queues are planned for Business Voice 500. Supported apps, devices, simultaneous external calls and any licence charges will be confirmed before launch. Recording, transcription and CRM integration will be separately quoted where supported.

The 100- and 500-minute allowances belong to individual users, are not pooled and do not roll over. Eligible destinations are planned to include standard UK 01, 02 and 03 numbers and explicitly supported main-network UK mobiles. Personal, premium, offshore, international and specialist destinations are outside those allowances.

Each answered outgoing call to an included destination deducts at least 60 seconds from that user's allowance. Time beyond the first minute is deducted per second. Eligible UK overage is proposed at 2p per minute, billed per second, with a 2p minimum total charge per answered chargeable call. Final rules for calls crossing the end of an allowance and other supported destinations will be published before ordering.

Optional assisted setup is £65 for one agreed SIP endpoint and one number, with up to an hour of remote configuration, testing and handover. A separate £99 simple migration service covers one eligible number, up to three users and a simple call flow. Transfer charges and other external costs will be itemised. Emergency calling, address records and backup requirements will be confirmed before service begins.

Business numbers, SIP trunks and SMS

Standard virtual business numbers are proposed at £2.50 per number per month plus usage, as additional numbers on an agreed account or a low-support route to a compatible SIP endpoint. Hosted users, outgoing calls, onward telephone forwarding, configuration and number-transfer charges are separate.

For businesses operating a compatible PBX, SIP trunks will be quoted according to numbers, simultaneous-call capacity, traffic and configuration. Quotations will include a destination rate schedule, spending controls and any migration work.

Business SMS is proposed at 9p per message part to explicitly supported standard UK mainland mobile destinations. International, offshore and specialist destinations are excluded. Longer messages and some characters, including Unicode characters, can require several chargeable parts.

Planned tools include API access, sender controls, a preview of parts and cost before submission, and delivery reports where supported. Prepaid credit or combined account billing is planned, with payment, submission and delivery terms confirmed before launch.

Network engineering, VPNs and static public IP setup

Proposed network engineering covers supported routers, firewalls, VLANs, routing, fault investigation, diagrams and configuration records. The business-hours rate is £65 an hour, with a one-hour minimum followed by 15-minute billing increments, or £495 for an agreed eight-hour engineering day. Onsite work, travel, equipment and licences are separately quoted.

VPN configuration starts at £195 for up to three hours of remote setup, testing and handover. It covers either one site-to-site link between two compatible gateways or one remote-access gateway with up to three client devices. Working internet connections, suitable equipment and required licences must already be available.

Optional £49 static-IP configuration covers one compatible endpoint, its tunnel profile, agreed connection and routing tests, and handover. It accompanies an existing Lodestar L2TP subscription at £3.50 or £4.50 a month. This endpoint setup and bespoke VPN design are distinct tasks and will be identified in the quotation.

Failover and monitoring with defined support

Failover configuration is proposed at £149 for one supported customer-owned router and two existing internet links. The work includes agreed switching behaviour, loss and restoration tests and handover. Backup connections, SIM data and equipment are separate.

Optional £9.50 monthly failover monitoring covers two agreed WAN paths. Site monitoring starts at £19.95 per site per month for up to five supported devices, agreed checks, alerts and a monthly report. It includes applicable two-path checks and replaces the £9.50 add-on for the same site. Checks already covered by LTE management will be included once in a quotation.

Automated checks run throughout the day and night; human review and support take place during business hours. Check intervals and alert methods will be confirmed before launch. Repairs and additional configuration work are separately quoted.

Feasibility, surveys, training and trials

A £195 remote feasibility assessment includes up to three hours reviewing supplied site information, devices, traffic and likely spectrum options, followed by a short report. Site surveys are £495 for up to eight hours onsite, with documented findings and next steps. Travel and specialist access are separate.

LTE training is proposed at £495 for up to eight hours and a group of up to four people. The agreed programme can cover architecture, radio and core setup, SIM provisioning, IP connectivity and troubleshooting on a lab or customer network. Equipment, travel, additional lab preparation and spectrum arrangements are separate.

Trial engineering starts at £995 for defined planning, configuration, tests and documented results. The quotation sets the time allowance, dates and acceptance questions. Equipment and licence fees are separate; this is not a complete network installation price. Temporary tests do not establish permission for permanent operation.

MSP and wholesale services are under development for IT providers needing numbers, SIP, public-IP access or engineering. Eligibility, support responsibilities, commitments and pricing will be quoted. Integration between business mobiles, SIMs and PBXs is also under research, subject to supported equipment and service validation.

Pricing, enquiries and next steps

Prices are provisional customer totals. Lodestar is not currently VAT registered, so no VAT is added. Hardware is purchased outright. Standard Nova230i Pro and Nova442i radio delivery is included; extra or special shipping is quoted separately. E224 and lab equipment delivery is itemised at actual cost.

Spectrum fees, SIM subscriptions and usage, customer devices, surveys, travel, extensive cabling, specialist access, third-party licences and additional work are separate unless expressly included. Final quotations will identify equipment, installation, recurring charges and acceptance scope.

Lodestar plans to open orders for the new services by 31 December 2026. Installation and activation dates will be agreed for each customer. Customers can review the planned service range and discuss requirements now, while all new offers remain coming soon.

ENDS

About Lodestar Networks

Lodestar Networks Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company number 17431367. Its work includes public IPv4 tunnel services, commercial local mobile network development and planned private-network and business communications services.

Media enquiries

Lodestar Networks Ltd
hello@lodestarnetworks.co.uk
0330 520 4093
lodestarnetworks.co.uk

Notes to editors

This announcement describes forthcoming services, rather than services currently open for ordering. Appropriate spectrum authorisation and device compatibility are required for each radio installation. Commercial Lodestar Mobile coverage, private LTE and hobby labs are distinct products.

The existing L2TP public-IP service is already available. Home Voice and Mobile retain their separate product information and availability arrangements.

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