Time: 2024-06-19
Official documentation from Space Exploration Technologies Corp. reveals that the upcoming Starlink Mini dish will not come with an external Wi-Fi router. Instead, the company has managed to integrate the router inside the dish itself. The information, which comes from an official spec sheet and setup guide for the Mini dish quietly posted on Starlink.com, provides consumers with a major glimpse of what to expect from the product. CEO Elon Musk has announced that the Mini dish will start rolling out in a few months.
The Mini dish, described as a Starlink with integrated Wi-Fi, will also come bundled with a kickstand, pipe adapter, direct current power cable, and a power supply. Despite the built-in modem making the Mini dish more portable, it only supports Wi-Fi 5 speeds, contrary to previous FCC document suggestions of Wi-Fi 6 speeds. The smaller size of the Mini dish, weighing only 2.4 pounds, makes it easy to fit into a backpack and carry around. Furthermore, the Mini model requires less power, averaging only 25 watts compared to the V4 standard Starlink dish's 75 to 100 watts.
Elon Musk recently introduced the Starlink Mini, highlighting its unique features such as its ultra-portable size, which is comparable to that of a 14-inch laptop. The Mini dish comes with a 12V barrel jack, RJ45 Ethernet jack, and built-in Wi-Fi support with Wi-Fi 6, 802.11ax, and 3x3 MiMO support on 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands. It also includes mesh support, allowing multiple Starlink Minis or Starlinks to be linked together to create a mesh Wi-Fi network. The price of the Mini dish is expected to be around $250 to $300, half the cost of current Starlink dishes.
Although the Mini dish offers slightly lower speeds than the standard Starlink dish, capping at around 100 Mbps with a latency of 23ms, it is still fast enough for activities like gaming and streaming 4K video. Musk hinted at the possibility of even faster internet speeds with additional Starlink deployments in the future. The Mini dish could potentially bring Starlink capabilities to Tesla cars, offering improved connectivity in remote areas.
Elon Musk mentioned that the Starlink Mini will be rolling out to select areas in the coming months. The Mini dish's release could pave the way for enhanced internet access at a lower cost. Tesla may consider integrating Starlink connectivity into their vehicles to reduce bandwidth costs and improve connectivity in areas with limited coverage. While Starlink connectivity requires line-of-sight, potential applications in Tesla vehicles, such as using Starlink as a backup to cellular connectivity, could provide a more seamless and reliable experience for users.
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