SpaceX Preps Next-Gen Gateway to Accelerate Starlink Speeds

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SpaceX is developing a next-generation gateway station to boost Starlink speeds after securing approval to upgrade the satellite internet service with gigabit connectivity.

On Tuesday, the company filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission about a new ground-based gateway station, called "First of Its Name," an apparent Game of Thrones reference.

SpaceX routinely submits regulatory filings to authorize new gateway sites. They're best known for using spherical dome antennas to beam high-speed data to orbiting Starlink satellites, which then relay it to users. The company already has more than 100 gateway stations across the US. But they've usually been designed to transmit data over a swath of radio spectrum in the Ka and E bands, according to past SpaceX filings.

The First of Its Name gateway stands out because it'll harness even more radio spectrum in the "Ka-, V-, E-, and W-bands" -- which the FCC greenlit in January as part of SpaceX's proposal to upgrade Starlink with gigabit speeds. The application calls out permission to use the 18.6-18.8GHz, 19.4-19.6GHz, and 29.1-29.5GHz spectrum, along with various higher bands in the V- and W-bands.

"This application takes the next step by seeking authority for one of SpaceX's next-generation quad-band gateway earth stations that will connect these satellite systems to the terrestrial internet," the company wrote, noting it's targeting "fiber-like speeds."

The gateway station will still use 40 antennas for quad-band access, but each will be a 1.99-meter parabolic dish, slightly larger than the 1.85-meter dishes used at the company's other gateway facilities.

SpaceX adds: "This allows the gateway site to connect to as many independent NGSO [non-geostationary] satellites as possible at any given instant in time, delivering higher data transmission rates and improved customer connectivity to meet the growing consumer demand for high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband and ubiquitous mobile communications."

The application also includes specific coordinates indicating the gateway will be located at SpaceX's Starlink factory in Bastrop, Texas, as noted by Tim Belfall, a director at UK-based Starlink installer Westend WiFi.

It's unclear when the quad-band antennas will roll out to other stations. But in the filing, SpaceX noted if the FCC grants the authorization to use the 18.6-18.8GHz band for the gateway site, it'll "allow SpaceX to efficiently upgrade its existing hardware to make productive use of the 18.6-18.8GHz band for consumers, since the commission has already authorized SpaceX to use adjacent frequencies above and below 18.6-18.8GHz."

The company's main driver for unleashing gigabit speeds is launching next-generation V3 satellites using the upcoming Starship vehicle. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has mentioned that mass deployment of V3 satellites could start in Q4, but it will depend on progress with Starship, which is slated for another test flight next month.

In the meantime, SpaceX adds, "Granting this application will promote the public interest by improving the coverage, quality, reliability, and sustainability of SpaceX's upgraded Gen1 and Gen2 systems for American consumers without causing significant interference problems." The company is asking permission to use the gateway for both fixed and mobile satellite services.