Starlink has opened up availability of their next generation hardware, Starlink Gen 3. Now, anyone in the US can order the newest Starlink dish with select service plans. Prior to December 15th, Gen 3 was available by special invitation only. If you are interested in trying out the new Starlink dish, now is your chance to order one.
Gen 3 hardware is limited to Roam and Business plans
Right now, the Gen 3 hardware option is only available for Roam and Business service plans. This includes Mobile Regional, Mobile Global, Mobile Priority, and Business (Priority). Unless you received an invitation prior to December 15th, Gen 3 isn’t available for Residential service plans at this time.
Starlink says that Gen 3 will be available for other service plans in the future, but did not give any specific release timeline. Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any important updates. In my opinion, Starlink chose to offer Gen 3 with Roam because of the new kickstand design. Unlike previous generations, Gen 3 doesn’t have a mast or aiming motors. This makes it a great option for portable use.
Offering Gen 3 to Roam users also gives Starlink a good chance to collect data about the new self-aiming process. Without motors to help align the antenna, Gen 3 users will have to manually point it, with the help of the Starlink app. Since portable use cases require a lot of setup and takedown, it will be a good test to see how self-aiming works in the real world, before expanding availability to Residential customers.
See also: Differences Between Starlink Gen 2 and Gen 3
Gen 3 is only available in the US
The roll out of Gen 3 will start in the United States. Right now, only new and existing customers in the US can select the Gen 3 hardware option with their order. Starlink is planning to expand to additional markets in the future, but gave no estimated dates.
Starlink Gen 3 Standard price and kit contents
As I previously reported, Starlink’s Gen 3 kit will not increase in price over Gen 2. The cost for the equipment is $599. For that, you get everything you need to get online:
- Starlink Dish
- Kickstand
- Router
- Starlink Cable (50′)
- Power Supply
- Power Supply Cable
Additional mounting options are available, as well as a longer 150′ Starlink cable. The most noteworthy part of the kit, besides the new dish itself, is the Gen 3 Wifi router. The Gen 3 router has been upgraded to Wifi 6 technology, compared to Wifi 5 in previous generations. In my review of the Gen 3 router, I achieved up to 4x faster Wifi speeds.
How to order Starlink Gen 3
To get Starlink Gen 3, you need to purchase a new subscription with a new or existing Starlink account. If you don’t have a Starlink account:
- Go to Starlink.com
- Select Roam or Business from the menu
- Enter your address (must be a US address)
- Select Standard as your hardware option (Standard Actuated is Gen 2)
- Select your service plan
- Complete the order form
If you have an existing Starlink account, and would like to add a new kit or replace an old one, follow these steps to order Gen 3:
- Log in to your account on Starlink.com
- Under Your Starlinks, click on the + icon to add a new Starlink
- Select a service plan (Roam or Business only at this time)
- Select the Standard equipment option
- Select your service plan
- Complete the order form
For those with existing accounts, be aware that Starlink introduced a new rule, limiting non-commercial accounts to 3 Starlink kits. If you already have 3 Starlink’s in your account, you won’t be able to add an additional subscription.
Final thoughts
I previously reported on the Gen 3 kit, and compared it to previous Starlink generations. You can read that post here. In short, I think Gen 3 is an impressive kit for brand new customers who don’t already have Starlink. For those of you with Gen 1 or Gen 2 kits, the extra $599 doesn’t justify an upgrade, at least in my opinion.
The one caveat there is the new form factor. The Gen 3 dish is much more packable and portable, thanks to the kickstand, and elimination of the mast and motors. If you are a Roam user, and want your kit to be easily deployed, Gen 3 might be worth looking at.
If you purchase a Gen 3 with a roam plan can you leave it in a non active status and just turn it on when traveling etc. I’m thinking I would like it for camping and such
Yes you can do that. After it ships, you can pause the service to avoid monthly service fees. When you need it, activate service.
After purchasing the Gen 3 with the roam plan can I change my plan to residential?
Yep!
https://www.starlinkhardware.com/how-to-switch-from-residential-to-rv/
Thank you so much!!
Do I still need to get an aftermarket router with the new Gen 3 system, and will the recommended router work with Gen 3?
You don’t need to, as long as you don’t need advanced networking features. Any router works with Gen 3.
If I purchase the standard wall mount (short-arm) for the eave of my house with the Gen 3 system, do I still need to purchase the standard pipe adapter mount?
No, the Gen 3 Standard Wall Mount will come with everything you need.
I will be ordering starlink after spring snow melt for a Northern MI location. It will be curious to see what residential customers have as option then. I will need pole adapter and 3rd party mount most likely. Even if Gen do does not really “steer” the dish regularly, it does have ability to move. I wonder about gen3 and my high roof. If something shifts in software and the dish needs a tweak in orientation, this will not be simple task. Thats my Gen3 concern. but Gen3 router is nice. But maybe 3rd party router with gen2 is better for my location needs. wish there was not so many unknowns
The alignment of the Gen 3 only needs to be modified if the angle is out by more than 10 degrees. From what I’ve seen in the past, Starlink makes slight adjustments that are less than that. I don’t think it will ever need to be re-aimed, but time will tell. If given the choice between Gen 2 and 3, I wouldn’t recommend anyone go with Gen 2. The cable, connectors, and router/power supply design has been an issue, and Gen 3 fixes all that.
I run my business at my home. I use Internet for all things business, but at night I stream Netflixs! As a businessman, if the less expensive Residential will work, great! But if I need to pump up the volume, I might need to go commercial. What is the cost and performance differences?
The cost difference is significant if you use a good amount of data. I don’t think it’s worth it to start out with. Try Residential, and if you have issues, look into upgrading. You can always upgrade your plan to Business and use the Standard Residential hardware you already have. There isn’t much of a performance difference between the Business and Residential hardware.
Is it reasonable to “permanently “ mount the gen 3 antenna to the top of a van? Will the electronic aiming make up for lack of physical tilting and aiming?
Yep! Plenty of people have modified the older Gen 2 antenna to flat mount it without motors, and it works great. Gen 3 should be even better because you can flat mount it without modification, and it has a higher field of view.
Thank you, Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I bought the Gen 3 as a residential beta site. Nothing has been said about how we will mount our dish as the kick stand is a more portable solution. Sure they offer options but the Gen 1 & 2 were shipped with a mountable solution.
Gen 1 and Gen 2 were shipped with the standard base that is only good for a temporary setup, or mounting to a flat surface. The kickstand is the same in that regard. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to reuse previous generation mounts with Gen 3. They offer many mounting options for Gen 3 in the shop, though.
How is gen 3 dish better than gen 2? They both cost the same, but yet, gen 2 seems better equipped with the actuater. With Gen 3, you’ll need to climb on your roof and make adjustments, when its needed.
The main benefits:
1. Much better router over Gen 2
2. Standard Ethernet cable vs proprietary Starlink cable and connectors on Gen 2
3. Better field of view (110 degrees vs 100 degrees on Gen 2)
4. Better power supply to handle rain and snow
5. Easier for portable use or flat mounting
We will have to wait and see how the manual aiming works out. Right now, it looks like you just aim it once during setup, and that’s it. Further adjustments might be needed, but that is at Starlink’s discretion. Even if you didn’t adjust it, it’s not like it will stop working. I have a motor disabled Gen 2 that is pointing straight up and have zero issues with it that way. I doubt with the increased FOV on Gen 3 that aiming will be an issue at all.