The FCC awarded Starlink a license for a "high-performance" end-user terminal that may produce a stronger signal on Monday (Opens in a new window). The same terminal has been "ruggedized" to resist more extreme conditions.
SpaceX didn't divulge anything about the technical characteristics of the high-performance user terminal in its application to the FCC. However, the license is most likely for SpaceX's Starlink Business dish, which debuted in February. The premium dish is meant to receive download rates of 150Mbps to 500Mbps, significantly faster than the consumer-focused Starlink dish's 50-200Mbps download capabilities.
The Starlink Business dish has "improved snowmelt capabilities as well as the capacity to offer quicker speeds in high-temperature conditions," according to SpaceX.
Even before the FCC approved the Starlink Business dish, SpaceX stated that the first units will be delivered in Q2. The Starlink website has been amended to state that the first orders will begin arriving at the end of Q2 for subscribers in the United States and Canada, now that the commission has authorized them.
According to users who have ordered Starlink Business in various countries, SpaceX has been shipping a "circular" Starlink Business dish based on current hardware designs.
Starlink Business, as its name suggests, is aimed at businesses that require high-speed broadband in distant places. However, the service is somewhat costly. SpaceX has been charging potential clients $2,500 for the gear, which is nearly four times the ordinary Starlink dish's $599 price. Users must additionally pay $500 per month for Starlink Business internet, in addition to the $110 per month for ordinary Starlink service.
The FCC license gives SpaceX until 2037 to deploy the high-performance dish across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.