Starlink’s Beam Switching Upgrade Boosts Uptime for Obstructed Dishes

Starlink has enhanced its beam switching technology, delivering significantly better reliability—even for dishes located under trees or near buildings.

How It Works

In the past, Starlink dishes struggled when partially blocked by obstacles. Now with upgraded beam switching, each dish tracks multiple satellites simultaneously and switches seamlessly between them to maintain a steady connection.

Smarter, Faster Switching

Beam switching isn’t a new concept—but the recent improvements include a proactive switching mode that preempts interruptions. This feature builds an obstruction map (using satellite signals over time) that guides the dish to avoid blocked paths. For mobile or changing setups, reactive switching takes over, activating within milliseconds when signal loss occurs. The result? Users are experiencing far fewer and shorter outages.

Real-World Impact

One user shared that despite being under about 15% obstruction, they now only experience 2–3 second signal drops every 10 minutes or so—compared to longer outages with previous setups.

No Action Needed from Users

This beam-switching upgrade is automatic—no updates or actions are required on your end. Fully clear views are still ideal, but significantly better performance is now achievable even in less-than-perfect setups.

Underlying Infrastructure Matters

The boost in reliability comes as Starlink expands its satellite fleet—currently at around 8,000 satellites in orbit—which allows dishes to rapidly lock onto alternate signals and sidestep obstructions more effectively.

Summary

• Starlink’s updated beam switching enables smoother connections, even with partial obstructions.

• Proactive mapping and reactive switching work together to minimize downtime.

• No setup or intervention required—your dish adapts automatically.

• Increasing satellite coverage makes this upgrade even more effective.