The Federal Communications Commission has granted SpaceX a request to boost the power levels for transmitting signals to and from its Starlink user terminals, which the company says should lead to improved data speeds and service reliability for consumers who have gotten service through the burgeoning satellite network. The approval increases the maximum equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) for the company’s existing standard dish, and its portable Mini dish which it recently launched, improving speed of uploads and connectivity in challenging circumstances.
While SpaceX was looking to bring about the change “in order to provide faster and/or more reliable services,” it has not indicated whether existing hardware will offer the upgrade by software or if it will be included in new production models. The permission is for fixed installation, and in-motion use, so the benefits extend to homes, as well as RVs, boats, and vehicles.
What the FCC Approved
Under FCC filings for Part 25 (earth stations), SpaceX is authorized to raise that standard dish’s peak EIRP from 42.1 dBW to 43.4 dBW and the Mini dish’s from 33.2 dBW to 39.2 dBW. Node-to-Node SINR Calming in linear terms, that’s about a 1.3 dB gain (about 35% more link margin) for the standard terminal and a 6 dB leap (about 4x) for the Mini. EIRP is the signal power in dB in the intended direction after antenna gain (not in watts of raw transmitting power).
The green light proceeds after technical showings that the higher power is still 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 regulated by the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology.
Why More EIRP Matters
Satellite links thrive and die via link budget. Even a small 1–2 dB increase may be the difference between having to accept a shouette modulation and coding scheme or a lower one due to poor conditions or being at the edge of a cell. With the 1.3 dB gain over the model dish, these will do a better job keeping peak rates up in all conditions especially through rain fade or if the terminal is partially obstructed.
The 6 dB bump for the Mini is larger still. Quadrupling the effective uplink strength even for users on portables will help reduce session drops, shrink latency spikes from retransmissions, and deliver higher steady-state uplink rates. While downstream Starlink service in the U.S. generally extends into the low hundreds of Mbps, upstream peformance and consistency are frequently limited by terminal-side pointing and power – exactly the issues EIRP increases aim to improve.
Which Hardware Is Affected
The FCC documents refer to models UT3-V1 and UT3-V2, which industry watchers believe correspond to the standard terminal currently in use and the Starlink Mini. (They both happen to employ electronic beam steering phased arrays; in theory power and beam shape are firmware tunable within thermal and regulatory limits. That suggests at least some of the current devices could get headroom via software, although SpaceX may opt to roll out the change on a piecemeal basis by geography, congestion or device generation.
It could also be the case that only newer manufacturing lots, with improved power stages or better heat dissipation, will actually run at the new ceiling. SpaceX has a history of iterating its hardware discreetly while maintaining model designators and such incremental improvements are also accounted for in FCC grants.
Interference and Safety Safeguards
More power does not necessarily mean more relaxed rules. The grant locks in Starlink to defined off-axis EIRP density masks to protect neighboring satellite operators, and to human exposure limits consistent with FCC OET guidance. In practical terms, that means the dishes keep tight beam shaping and automatic power control, only transmitting at peak power when link conditions, and pointing accuracy, allow.
The authorization also includes earth stations in motion, a subset that comes with extra scrutiny due to the terminals being operated near people and in high-RF environments. The FCC’s analysis also defines the required minimum safe separation distances and continuous operation under worst-case duty cycles, which are usually included in user’s manuals and compliance filings.
Strategic Context for SpaceX
The power boost is in line with SpaceX’s roadmap, which features a higher-end “performance” terminal targeting gigabit-class service as newer V3 satellites are launched. Higher terminal EIRP can be exploited today to improve the uplink margin and in the future will allow the use of more robust modulation schemes as satellite payload and spectrum coordination permits.
It also bolsters Starlink’s position in mobility markets—marine, land vehicles, and aviation—where link stability under movement and weather are key. Particularly as rival constellations such as Eutelsat OneWeb and Amazon’s Project Kuiper scale, incremental improvements in resilience and real-world throughput represent important differentiators, particularly in busy mid-latitude beams.
What to Watch Next
Watch SpaceX’s support notes and your device’s label for adjusted EIRP estimates, and for anecdotal evidence of bloated uploads or fewer weather-related slowdowns—especially among Starlink Mini customers. Network analytics from companies like Ookla, as well as third-party drive tests, can help determine if the power boost is resulting in higher median upload rates or more stable latency at the fringes of coverage.
The headline: Increased terminal power means more link margin. How quickly that margin translates into visibly faster speeds, fewer drops or both will depend on how aggressively SpaceX allows the new limits across its installed base, and how quickly the satellite capacity is able to catch up with demand.