Off-site backups and CCTV archives over satellite: what UniFi Cloud Storage means for Starlink and Amazon Leo homes and businesses

A satellite dish brings fast broadband to places fibre has not reached, and for many rural homes, farms and small businesses that connection now carries far more than web browsing. Security cameras, network storage drives and smart devices all sit on the same network, and more of them want to send data out to the cloud as well as pull it in.

This month Ubiquiti, whose UniFi range is widely used for home and business networks, launched UniFi Cloud Storage: a service that keeps an off-site copy of files from its UniFi Drive storage devices and of important events from UniFi Protect cameras. It is a useful development, and a good moment to look at how off-site backup and camera archiving work over Starlink and Amazon Leo, and what to plan for.

What UniFi Cloud Storage is

Ubiquiti announced UniFi Cloud Storage on 2 November 2026. According to Ubiquiti's announcement and its help centre, the service:

• Backs up files from UniFi Drive, the software on Ubiquiti's UNAS network storage devices, to off-site storage.

• Archives selected UniFi Protect camera events automatically, based on the cameras and smart-detection types you choose, such as people, vehicles, packages or animals.

• Is managed in UniFi Site Manager, where archived events and files can be browsed, searched and downloaded together.

• Keeps previously uploaded files and recordings accessible even if the console at the site is offline, although the console must be online to upload anything new.

• Is priced at $5 per terabyte per month, based on the storage actually used, with a $5 monthly minimum plus taxes and no fees for downloading your data.

Ubiquiti says the storage is provided by Backblaze. At launch the only region available was in the US, with further regions, including one in the European Union, planned for December 2026. Ubiquiti also says end-to-end encryption, with keys that only the customer holds, is coming to Drive backups and Protect archives.

There are some limits worth knowing. Drive cloud backups currently work only for independent sites, not for multi-site UniFi Fabrics, and uploads must be configured separately at each site. If a subscription ends, Ubiquiti says existing backups and archives remain accessible for 30 days.

Why off-site copies matter for rural properties

The idea behind the service is the familiar 3-2-1 rule, which Ubiquiti quotes: keep three copies of your data, on two types of storage, with one copy off-site. A network storage drive in the house protects you if a laptop dies. It does not protect you if the drive itself fails, if the building floods or burns, or if someone takes the equipment.

Cameras raise the same problem. A recorder sitting in the farm office or under the stairs holds all the footage, so if it is stolen or damaged, the evidence goes with it. Archiving only the important events, rather than everything, means a second copy of the moments that matter is kept somewhere else, without paying to store hours of empty yard.

Upload is the part to plan for

Most broadband connections, satellite included, are built around downloads. Upload capacity on a satellite service is typically a fraction of download, and it varies with the plan, the time of day and how busy the local network of satellites is. You can see your own recent results in the Starlink app, and that is the figure that matters, not the headline download speed.

Ubiquiti does not publish a specific upload requirement for Cloud Storage, so it helps to do a little arithmetic before switching it on. As a worked example only: if a connection could give a backup a steady 10 megabits per second of upload, one terabyte would take a little over nine days to send. The same terabyte at 50 megabits per second would take a little under two days. A first full backup of a well-used storage drive is therefore a job for days, not hours, and after that only changes need to be sent.

Camera event archiving is usually much lighter, because only short clips around detections are uploaded. But a busy driveway, a field of moving livestock or a camera pointed at a road can generate a lot of events, so choose the cameras and detection types carefully.

Practical tips for backups over satellite

• Seed the first backup patiently. Let the initial upload run over several nights, or start with the most important folders and add the rest later.

• Schedule large jobs for quiet hours. Running backups overnight keeps video calls, streaming and card payments smooth during the day.

• Be selective with camera archiving. Archive people and vehicles at entrances rather than every motion event on every camera.

• Use quality of service where your router supports it. Giving backup traffic lower priority stops it crowding out more urgent traffic.

• Keep the console and storage on backup power. A UPS keeps uploads going through short power cuts and lets equipment shut down cleanly in longer ones.

• Check your restore, not just your backup. Download a file or clip occasionally to make sure you can actually get it back.

The network behind the dish

Off-site backup only works well when the network feeding it is solid. Cameras on outbuildings need reliable links back to the recorder, which usually means Cat6 cabling or a point-to-point wireless bridge, with PoE switches supplying power over the same cable. Ubiquiti's desktop UNAS 4 storage device can itself be powered over a single network cable, but it needs a 90-watt PoE+++ supply, more than most PoE switches provide, so Ubiquiti includes an injector with it.

The router also matters. A Starlink router, or your own router connected behind it, needs to be set up so the storage device and camera console can reach the internet reliably, with sensible firewall rules and no management pages exposed to the open internet.

Data protection for businesses

Businesses using cameras in the UK need to follow UK data protection law and the Information Commissioner's Office guidance on video surveillance, including keeping footage secure and only as long as necessary. Sending recordings to a cloud provider adds questions about where the data is stored and who can access it. Ubiquiti's planned European Union region and end-to-end encryption may help some organisations, but it is worth checking the details against your own data protection obligations before switching archiving on.

What it means for Starlink and Amazon Leo customers

For homes and businesses on Starlink today, UniFi Cloud Storage is a straightforward way to add an off-site copy of files and camera events, provided the upload side of the connection is planned for. Amazon Leo is preparing to launch in the UK, and the same principles will apply: check real upload performance, schedule heavy jobs sensibly and build a reliable network between the dish, the cameras and the storage.

Some properties will also want a second connection, such as a 4G or 5G router or, in future, a second satellite service, so that cameras can keep archiving if one link drops.

Professional installation from Space Internet Solutions

Space Internet Solutions installs Starlink and prepares homes and businesses for Amazon Leo, with the wired and wireless network behind the dish designed in from the start: Cat6 cabling, PoE switches, point-to-point bridges to outbuildings, mesh Wi-Fi and camera networks. We can position cameras and storage sensibly, set up routing and backup power, and make sure there is a clear plan for what goes off-site and when. Through our nationwide network of trusted PLEO (Professional Low Earth Orbit) installers, the same standard is available across the UK.

If you would like your satellite broadband, cameras and backups planned properly, visit spaceinternetsolutions.com and tell us about your property.

Sources: Ubiquiti blog, "Introducing UniFi Cloud Storage" (2 November 2026); Ubiquiti Help Center, "Back Up Drive Files and Archive Protect Recordings with UniFi Cloud Storage"; Ubiquiti Community, Site Manager 5.11.0 release notes; Ubiquiti UNAS 4 technical specifications; Information Commissioner's Office guidance on video surveillance.