SpaceX Prepares To Increase Upload Speeds On Starlink Dishes

SpaceX is looking to increase Starlink upload speeds by tapping more radio spectrum.

On Monday, the company requested permission from the Federal Communications Commission to add support for the 13.75 to 14.0GHz and 14.5 to 14.8GHz bands to its satellite internet hardware.

The FCC already cleared SpaceX to use the spectrum for “Earth-to-space” transmissions (aka uploading) as part of the company’s effort to upgrade Starlink with gigabit speeds. However, as SpaceX’s filing notes, current FCC rules require a minimum antenna diameter of 4.5 meters to operate in the 13.75 to 14.0 GHz band, which is larger than the diameter of SpaceX’s current dish models. So, it needs a waiver from the FCC.

SpaceX filed seven requests to use the spectrum across its lineup, including the current Starlink dish, the Starlink Mini, the second-generation dish, and the now-defunct first-gen circular dish.

In its requests, the company tells the FCC that using the spectrum will help resolve the “4:1 imbalance between downlink and uplink spectrum in the Ku-band to meet consumer demand for high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband and real-time communications.” This promises to unlock “more symmetrical broadband speeds” to Starlink users, and power “data-intensive real-time applications, such as videoconferencing.”

On the 13.75 to 14.0GHz band, SpaceX adds: “This 250 MHz of spectrum is particularly suitable for next-generation satellite service, as it lies immediately adjacent to the 14.0–14.5 GHz uplink band that these SpaceX earth stations are already authorized to use.” Currently, Starlink can offer upload speeds from around 20 to 40Mbps.

The major question is whether the increased upload bandwidth will come to existing Starlink dishes or if new antenna hardware will be required. SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Still, the request to add the bands for the original Starlink dish raises hopes that the upload upgrade will apply to older hardware as well.

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In the application, the company notes that “SpaceX’s UTs [user terminals], as modified, will not result in exposure levels exceeding the applicable radiation hazard limits,” suggesting the product needs to undergo some change to use the spectrum, though this might merely involve a software update.

SpaceX is also planning to offer gigabit speeds through Starlink, but the company has indicated that customers will need to buy the more powerful, enterprise-focused dish hardware to achieve faster performance. Still, the FCC did clear the company to operate the Starlink network at higher power levels in January, meaning other performance upgrades could be coming to existing users.