Starlink antenna squares up to expand

Starlink’s new rectangular antenna. © SpaceX / Starlink.

Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite Internet service, has unveiled a new rectangular antenna that is thinner and more inconspicuous than the 60 cm (23 inch) circular dish that Starlink beta users received last year. This new dish is only 30 cm (12 inches) wide and 50 cm (19 inches) long. At 4.2 kg, it’s nearly half the weight of the original dish. The company’s website says the rectangular dish is equipped with a new 3×3 router, MU-MIMO, which does not have a built-in Ethernet port like its predecessor. Starlink does, however, offer an Ethernet adapter for those who want to connect their device with a cable. The company says the rectangular antenna “is currently available for all new orders fulfilled in the United States.” There is no information for customers in Canada, and it is not yet clear whether owners of the disk antenna will be able to order the rectangular version instead.

Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite Internet project, which aims to launch a constellation of nearly 12,000 satellites into low Earth orbit to provide broadband Internet coverage around the globe, especially in rural and remote areas where traditional Internet infrastructure is lacking or obsolete. The beta version of Starlink was launched in October 2020. To access the service, users purchase a starter kit at CA$ 650 (+ CA$ 65 for shipping), which includes a satellite dish, a power supply, a Wi-Fi router and all cables necessary for installation. Subscription starts at CA$ 130 per month.

⇨ The Verge, Loren Grush, “SpaceX’s Starlink reveals new smaller, rectangular user dish to connect to satellites.”

2021-11-11