1. Starlink Satellites and Dish
Starlink provides internet through satellites orbiting Earth and a dish at your home. Unlike regular TV satellites, Starlink’s are much closer—about 550 km above Earth—which helps reduce delays and speed up your connection.
These satellites move incredibly fast—27,000 km/h! Since they don’t stay in one place, your dish automatically switches between satellites to keep your internet stable.
2. What Makes the Starlink Dish Special?
Unlike regular satellite dishes that only receive signals, the Starlink dish sends and receives data. It uses tiny antennas arranged in a hexagonal pattern to send strong signals up to the satellites.
The dish has motors to adjust its angle during setup, ensuring the best connection. But once set up, it doesn’t move much!
3. How the Dish Communicates with Satellites
Each antenna in the dish sends a 12 GHz signal, which turns into electromagnetic waves that travel through space. When signals return from the satellite, the dish translates them into data so your devices can connect to the internet.
4. Strong and Focused Signals (Beamforming & Steering)
Since satellites move fast, the dish needs to aim signals accurately. It does this using beamforming, where multiple antennas work together to focus and strengthen the signal—3,500 times stronger than a single antenna!
Beam steering helps the dish track moving satellites. Instead of physically moving, the dish adjusts its signal direction electronically based on satellite positions.
5. Fast Data Transmission for Streaming and Browsing
Starlink sends data in a highly efficient way called 64-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation). This technique packs more data into each signal, reaching speeds of up to 540 Mbps. That’s how you can stream HD videos, make video calls, and browse the web smoothly.
6. The Future of Internet from Space
Starlink is revolutionizing internet access, especially in rural and remote areas. With advanced satellite networks, smart antennas, and fast data transmission, Starlink is bringing high-speed internet to the world!