SpaceX is finally rolling out the option to use Starlink on moving cars through a new “Flat High Performance” dish coming this December.
The company is adding the option to Starlink RV, which previously limited the satellite internet service to stationary use, at least officially. Buying the new Flat High Performance dish will soon let customers access Starlink while driving on the road.
“With a wide field of view and enhanced GPS capabilities, the Flat High Performance Starlink can connect to more satellites, allowing for consistent connectivity on the go,” SpaceX says on the Starlink website.
Specifically, the new dish “can see 35% more sky,” so that it can maintain a consistent connection, according to the company. Download speeds for the dish also promise to be better in temperatures over 95 degrees Fahrenheit and in icy weather.
However, SpaceX will continue to “de-prioritize” the broadband quality for Starlink RV users when the dish is used in congested areas. Officially, Starlink RV currently offers download speeds from 5Mbps to 100Mbps in regions already full of existing Starlink users.
The new dish has been designed to be permanently installed on a vehicle and to withstand harsh weather. But the equipment won’t be cheap. SpaceX plans on selling the dish for $2,500, a significant increase from $599 for the standard Starlink RV dish. Meanwhile, the monthly service fee remains the same at $135 per month.
Users can also continue buying the standard $599 dish for Starlink RV. Anecdotally, some users have installed the normal dish on their cars over the past months, and say it works while in motion. But there are now reports that SpaceX has begun blocking the in-motion use on standard dishes through a firmware update.
In June, the FCC granted a license for SpaceX to operate Starlink on moving vehicles. Since then, the company has been expanding the satellite internet service to boats, planes and now moving cars.
The new Flat High Performance dish seems to be the same model SpaceX is selling for the maritime Starlink service, which has been charging $10,000 for the equipment in return for two dishes.