Starlink unveils new dish

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has unveiled a new rectangular dish for its Starlink Internet service.

The antenna is thinner, lighter, and shorter than the round version that Starlink beta users have been using to test the service over the last year.

It measures 50cm x 30cm instead of the 58.9cm diagonal width of the circular dish and weighs 4.2kg as opposed to 7.3kg.

While it’s not clear if the new dish will perform similarly in terms of Internet speeds, its robustness is on par with its predecessor.

It can operate in temperatures ranging from -30 degrees celsius to 50 degrees celsius and has an IP54 outdoor rating.

A support guide on the new antenna also shows it comes with a wider variety of mounting options than the round version, including a ground-fitted vertical pole when roof mounting is impossible.

The antenna comes bundled with a new 3×3, MU-MIMO wireless router to provide better wireless connectivity.

It is also capable of running at more extreme temperatures and comes with IP54 water resistance.

However, those wishing to connect via an Ethernet cable will have to fork out more for an Ethernet adapter from the Starlink shop, as the previous built-in Ethernet port has been scrapped.

The new rectangular dish is available now for Starlink orders fulfilled in the US.

It currently costs the same as the round dish, at $499 (R7,635), including the antenna, mounting equipment, a wireless router and cabling.

While that is a steep once-off price for Internet equipment, it should be noted that Starlink’s terminals use cutting-edge technology previously reserved for military applications, making them very expensive to manufacture.

The image below describes the differences in specifications for the old and new Starlink kits.

The smaller size will likely mean less material is used and bring down overall manufacturing costs, eventually making the terminals cheaper for consumers.

SpaceX president Glen Shotwell said it originally cost the company $3,000 (R45,951) to build a single dish, a figure which it has managed to bring down to $1,300 (R19,908).

Shotwell said the new dishes would cost roughly half of the round iterations.

At $650 (R9,954) per kit, Starlink is likely still making a loss on each dish sold, although this could change as it scales up production, with the service expected to be available in more regions from next year and beyond.

South Africans can also pre-order a Starlink kit. However, according to the latest update of the service’s pre-order page, new customers should only expect their service to be available in 2023.

Now read: Bad news for Starlink pre-orders in South Africa