SpaceX has unveiled a new Starlink dish specifically targeted at residential users, promising an improvement in broadband quality. The company has released specifications, images, and videos of the new dish on its official website. This announcement comes a few months after SpaceX received FCC approval to sell the hardware.
One of the noticeable changes in the new dish is the removal of the rotating antenna, which was present in the previous two generations of Starlink residential dishes. Instead, the new model simply needs to be positioned to face the sky to receive satellite internet. However, homeowners also have the option to mount the dish on their rooftop using a “pipe adapter.”
Compared to the second-generation Starlink residential dish, the new model is slightly taller at 23.4 inches, but remains 11.9 inches wide. It also boasts a higher waterproof rating at IP67, making it dust-proof and capable of withstanding shallow water immersion for up to 30 minutes.
Another significant change in the new model is the power consumption. With an average power consumption ranging between 75 to 100 watts, the new model consumes more power compared to its predecessor, which consumed between 50 to 75 watts.
Although the Starlink website has not provided detailed information about the dish’s performance, a FCC filing by SpaceX stated that the new dish is designed to provide a high-performance solution that improves upon previous fixed user terminal models. SpaceX intends to sell the dish along with the new “Gen 3” router, which offers Wi-Fi 6 and includes two Ethernet ports. However, the price and availability of the dish have not yet been disclosed.
According to the Starlink website, the new dish is named “Standard,” implying that it may eventually replace the existing second-generation dish now referred to as “Standard actuated” due to the presence of the rotating antenna. SpaceX had also received FCC approval to sell a separate, smaller Starlink dish in September, but details about that dish have not been provided on the Starlink website.