SpaceX has retired its Standard Actuated dish as the newest model, the V4, is now available to all U.S. households.
The company’s website shows the next generation V4 model as “immediately available” and priced at $599 for the hardware. It comes with a Gen 3 router with Wi-Fi 6 to boost wireless coverage. The dish has simple instructions: Plug it in and point it at the sky.
Starlink service costs $120 a month for unlimited high-speed, low-latency internet. The V4 can be bought through the company’s website or authorized retailers such as Best Buy. The V4 dish will roll out to more markets at a later date.
SpaceX was not available for comment.
The V4 dish was launched two months after the Federal Communications Commission cleared SpaceX to sell the hardware. The new model only needs to face the sky to receive the satellite signal. Starlink’s dish no longer has the rotating antenna from the first and second-generation models. Instead, it comes with a kickstand or a pipe adapter mount to install on rooftops.
The size of this dish is longer than the second-generation model. It measures 23.4 inches compared to the 20.2-inch V2 dish. It also boasts a water resistance of IP67, which makes it dust-proof and able to endure shallow water for 30 minutes. The dish uses more power than previous models, between 75 to 100 watts compared to the 50 to 75 watts the V2 dish uses.
SpaceX debuted its first generation satellites in 2018 and has since developed the largest satellite constellation operating in low-Earth orbit. The company has since launched nearly 4,000 satellites and connects more than one million households and businesses worldwide. The service comes with a 30-day trial, and there are no contracts.
Starlink has been expanding its satellite constellation to eliminate the digital drought and help connect more remote regions to the internet, some of which have never been able to get online through other means.
Starlink’s second generation satellites, the V2, came out in 2021, while an updated version, the V2 Mini, was authorized last February, and offered faster speeds, more bandwidth, and increased reliability for consumers. This model is no longer available for purchase through Starlink within the U.S. but is still available at Best Buy and Home Depot.
A third-generation dish debuted in December after an invitation-only launch but was only available through the Roam and Business tiers, not residential.