The company says its ‚beam switching‘ tech can ensure Starlink dishes remain connected, even when some obstructions, like tree cover, are present.
SpaceX says a new Starlink upgrade can keep the satellite internet flowing — even if trees partially block your home’s view of the sky.
On Wednesday, the company touted its real-time “beam switching” system to maintain satellite internet connectivity even if a Starlink dish is partially obstructed, like tree cover overhead.
The system appears to work because SpaceX now has around 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, creating a dense network of radio links to beam the high-speed internet to dishes on the ground. The company previously told users it was developing a way to seamlessly hand off connections between satellites, helping the radio signal bypass obstacles.
“Obstructed user performance is a priority. We are continuing to launch more satellites, providing satellite options at better angles for Starlink to connect to,” the company wrote in a support page in 2023.
In Wednesday’s post, SpaceX added that trees and buildings can temporarily block a satellite internet connection. But now, each Starlink dish in the US can access “10s of satellites in view, providing diversity to route traffic via satellite with a stable and unobstructed connection.”
The beam-switching tech will make a Starlink dish “automatically switch between satellites in real time to address any degradation in the link.
