Image: Starlink
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service has received regulatory approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase the radiated power on two of its user terminal models — a move that could translate into faster and more reliable internet speeds for customers (via PCMag).
The FCC signed off on SpaceX’s request this week, more than a year after the company first applied to raise the Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) for two hardware models, the “UT3-V1” and “UT3-V2.” These likely correspond to Starlink’s current Standard dish and the smaller portable Starlink Mini.
With the approval, Starlink could increase the Standard dish’s EIRP from 42.1 to 43.4 dBW (decibel-watts), while the Mini dish could jump from 33.2 to 39.2 dBW. That extra signal strength could help push beyond the speeds customers currently see, which in the U.S. generally range between 100 Mbps and 300 Mbps. Importantly, the FCC approval covers both stationary and in-motion use cases.
Starlink has long promised to eventually deliver gigabit-class speeds, and this upgrade could be a step toward that goal. SpaceX has said gigabit connections will finally be possible once its next-generation V3 Starlink satellites begin launching aboard its fully reusable Starship vehicle, potentially in 2026.
In the meantime, SpaceX has been rolling out new hardware. Back in June, the company introduced its $1,999 Performance dish, which can hit up to 400 Mbps today and is expected to be boosted to gigabit speeds via a software update sometime next year. Starlink is also said to be working on a second-generation Starlink Mini and a new high-performance gigabit dish.
What’s unclear for now is whether the newly approved power boost will be rolled out to existing hardware models through software tweaks or if it will be reserved for future hardware revisions. Either way, with Starlink now serving over seven million users worldwide, customers could soon see another bump in performance as the company continues to refine its growing network.
