AFN satellite installation in Mildenhall and Lakenheath

Who we help

Our office is on Mildenhall High Street, and both RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath sit well inside our 20-mile service area. Service members, civilian staff and their families live in the towns, on newer estates and in the villages and farmhouses around the bases, and we install in all of them.

Each household is different. A family that has just arrived may want everything working quickly in a rented home, while others who are settling for a longer posting may want a fuller setup in several rooms. Either way, we start by asking which TVs you have, which rooms you watch in and what you want to see.

Moving into a new home is busy enough, so we keep visits focused and explain clearly what will be fitted where.

AFN, UK channels and streaming in one setup

Most homes end up with more than one source of TV: AFN for American programming, UK channels from an aerial or satellite, and streaming apps over the internet. Without planning, that can mean a tangle of boxes, inputs and remotes that only one person in the house understands.

We wire the sources so each TV has what it needs, and we label inputs and set up the remotes so switching between AFN and UK channels is straightforward. Where a TV is wall mounted, the boxes can sit in a cupboard or on a shelf with the cables hidden. If your internet connection is the weak link for streaming, our Wi-Fi and rural broadband services can help.

Think about which rooms really need AFN. Many families want it in the main living room and perhaps a bedroom or playroom, while UK channels and streaming are enough elsewhere. Deciding this early keeps the cabling simple.

Positioning the dish

The position is confirmed on the survey, before any holes are drilled, so you and your landlord know exactly what to expect.

• Line of sight

  The dish needs an unobstructed path to its satellite, so we check trees, rooftops and nearby buildings before fixing anything.

• Discreet placement

  Side and rear walls are considered first, so the dish is less visible from the street where the view allows it.

• Solid fixings

  Brackets are matched to the wall or chimney and secured so wind does not knock the dish out of alignment.

• Clean cable entry

  Cables are routed neatly into the house with sealed entry points, ready for each room that needs a feed.

Rented homes

Many AFN customers rent their homes. Fixing a dish and running cables involves drilling into the building, so you will need your landlord's permission before work goes ahead. It helps to explain where the dish would go and how the cables would run; we are happy to provide those details.

Some properties already have a dish from a previous tenant. It may be reusable, or it may be pointing at a different satellite or worn out. We check what is there and tell you whether it can be adapted or whether a new dish is the better option, so you do not end up with two dishes on the wall.

When you move on at the end of a posting, the dish and cables can be left for the next occupant or removed, depending on what you have agreed with your landlord.

Help after installation

Once everything is working, we show you how to switch between sources and what to do if a box needs restarting. If the picture drops out later, our callout diagnostics find whether the cause is the dish, the cabling or the equipment indoors.

Because we also mount TVs, install aerials and set up home networks, one local team can look after the whole system for the length of your stay.

If you move house within the area during your posting, we can look at moving or reinstalling the system at your new address.

See all our satellite TV services