The Federal Communications Commission has authorized SpaceX to increase the transmit power on two Starlink user terminals, a move aimed at improving throughput and reliability for consumers on the satellite network. The approval raises the maximum equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) for the company’s current standard dish and its portable Mini dish, potentially delivering faster uploads and more resilient links in challenging conditions.
While SpaceX sought the change “to offer faster and/or more reliable service,” it has not said whether existing hardware will see the enhancement via software or if it will debut on new production units. The authorization covers both fixed installations and in-motion use, signaling benefits for homes as well as RVs, boats, and vehicles.
What the FCC Approved
According to FCC filings under Part 25 (earth stations), SpaceX can lift the standard dish’s maximum EIRP from 42.1 to 43.4 dBW and the Mini dish from 33.2 to 39.2 dBW. In linear terms, that’s roughly a 1.3 dB gain (about 35% higher link margin) for the standard terminal and a 6 dB jump (about 4x) for the Mini. EIRP expresses the effective signal strength in the most focused direction after antenna gain, not the raw transmitter power.
The green light follows technical showings that the higher power remains within the FCC’s off-axis EIRP density limits to protect other Ku-band satellite systems, and that the terminals meet RF exposure and safety requirements overseen by the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology.
Why More EIRP Matters
Satellite links live and die by link budget. A modest 1–2 dB boost can mean the difference between holding a higher-order modulation and coding scheme or stepping down in bad weather or at the edge of a cell. The 1.3 dB increase on the standard dish should help maintain peak rates more consistently, especially during rain fade or when the terminal has partial obstructions.
The 6 dB lift for the Mini is more dramatic. For portable users, quadrupling the effective uplink strength can reduce session drops, shorten latency spikes caused by retransmissions, and enable higher sustained upload rates. While Starlink downloads in the U.S. typically range into the low hundreds of megabits per second, uplink performance and stability are often constrained by terminal-side power and pointing—precisely what EIRP improvements address.
Which Hardware Is Affected
The FCC documents cite models UT3-V1 and UT3-V2, which industry watchers associate with the current standard terminal and the Starlink Mini. Both use electronically steered phased arrays, meaning power and beam shape are firmware-tunable within thermal and regulatory limits. That raises the prospect of at least some existing units gaining headroom through software, though SpaceX may choose to apply the change selectively by geography, congestion, or device revision.
It’s also possible that only newer manufacturing lots, with updated power stages or improved heat dissipation, will run at the new ceiling. SpaceX has a track record of iterating hardware quietly while keeping model identifiers steady, and FCC grants often accommodate such incremental improvements.
Interference and Safety Safeguards
Higher power does not mean looser rules. The approval holds Starlink to established off-axis EIRP density masks designed to protect adjacent satellite operators, and to human exposure limits in line with FCC OET guidance. Practically, that means the dishes maintain strict beam shaping and automatic power control, only transmitting at peak power when link conditions and pointing accuracy permit.
The authorization also encompasses earth stations in motion, a category with added scrutiny because terminals operate near people and in dense RF environments. The FCC’s analysis requires minimum safe separation distances and continuous compliance under worst-case duty cycles, items typically documented in user manuals and compliance filings.
Strategic Context for SpaceX
The power bump aligns with SpaceX’s roadmap, which includes a higher-end “performance” terminal aimed at gigabit-class service as newer V3 satellites come online. Greater terminal EIRP enhances the uplink margin today and sets the stage for more aggressive modulation schemes tomorrow, once satellite payloads and spectrum coordination allow.
It also strengthens Starlink’s hand in mobility markets—maritime, land vehicles, and aviation—where link stability under motion and weather is paramount. As competing constellations like Eutelsat OneWeb and Amazon’s Project Kuiper scale, incremental gains in resilience and real-world throughput are meaningful differentiators, especially in crowded mid-latitude beams.
What to Watch Next
Keep an eye on SpaceX support notes and device labels for updated EIRP figures, as well as anecdotal reports of stronger uploads or fewer weather-related slowdowns—especially from Starlink Mini users. Network analytics from organizations such as Ookla and third-party drive tests may show whether the power increase translates into higher median upload rates or improved latency stability at the edges of coverage.
The headline: higher terminal power adds link margin. Whether that margin turns into visibly faster speeds, fewer drops, or both will depend on how aggressively SpaceX enables the new limits across its installed base and how quickly satellite capacity catches up to demand.