SpaceX Unveils Next-Generation Starlink Dish for Homeowners. The new Starlink dish is somewhat taller and requires more power, which may result in improved broadband service. It also removes the antenna motor to make room for a kickstand.
SpaceX Unveils Next-Generation Starlink Dish for Homeowners
SpaceX has quietly unveiled a new Starlink dish aimed at home users, which will most likely improve broadband service. The company published specifications, photos, and videos of the new dish on Starlink.com around two months after receiving FCC approval to sell the gear.
The kickstand is the most visible modification. SpaceX chose to forego the spinning antenna seen in the first-generation and second-generation Starlink residential dishes, the latter of which will be deployed in 2021. Instead, the new model must just face the sky to obtain satellite internet. If the kickstand isn’t for you, the new dish may alternatively be configured with a “pipe adapter” attachment that can be affixed to a home’s rooftop.
Another distinction is the length. The new model is slightly taller than the second-generation Starlink residential dish, standing at 23.4 inches as opposed to 20.2 inches. However, they are 11.9 inches wide. Furthermore, the new model has a greater waterproof rating of IP67, which should make it dustproof and capable of withstanding 30 minutes of shallow water immersion.
Another significant shift is in power. The new model consumes 75 to 100 watts on average, up from 50 to 75 watts in the previous generation.
The Starlink website does not go into detail about performance. However, the business stated in an FCC petition that the new dish is intended to provide “a high-performance solution for consumers that improves upon SpaceX Services’ previously authorised fixed user terminal models.”
SpaceX intends to sell the dish in conjunction with the new “Gen 3” router, which features Wi-Fi 6 and two Ethernet ports. However, there is currently no information about the dish’s price or availability.
According to the Starlink website, the new dish is simply called “Standard.” This implies that it will eventually replace the existing second-generation domestic dish, which has been renamed “Standard actuated,” a reference to the hardware’s rotating antenna.
SpaceX also gained FCC approval in September to sell a separate, smaller Starlink dish. However, no information has been provided on the Starlink website.
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