If you were among the first to sign up for Starlink in 2020 and 2021 and got a “circular” dish, expect to receive a free hardware upgrade.
“Eligible customers who were among the first to connect with Starlink, and who are still using a first-generation kit, can receive a new Standard kit at no cost,” says a new support page about replacing the first-gen antenna hardware.
(Credit: Starlink.com)
The company will replace the circular dish with the V4 standard model, also known as the Standard 4X. Customers will receive a Router 3, power supply, cables, and even a free mount. Subscribers can also select a free installation at their home.
It looks like getting the replacement will require an official invite though. On the support page, Starlink says: “If you are eligible for this upgrade, you will receive an invitation by email.”
SpaceX also appears to be bricking the circular dishes for users who accept the offer. The company notes: “Your current Starlink will be deactivated when your new starlink.comes [sic] online or 14 days after delivery, whichever comes first. After that it will no longer work and cannot be transferred. You do not need to return it.”
(Credit: Starlink.com)
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But it’s good news for early adopters, and the replacement V4 model should deliver increased speed, along with improved power efficiency. We’ve also seen reports about the covering on original circular dishes peeling off.
The support page also makes us wonder if the company will eventually drop support for the first-gen Starlink dish models. A specifications page has long mentioned: “Like other novel technology products, the Starlink Kit will eventually become technologically obsolete. From time to time, customers may need to purchase a newer model for optimal Services.”
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The circular dish technically arrived in two models, dubbed Rev 1 and Rev 2, before SpaceX debuted a flat antenna dish in late 2021. Last year, the company also resorted to bricking dormant dish hardware because it required a software update. This may have ensnared many circular dish models that had been stowed away.
On what to do with a bricked dish, Starlink’s environmental report merely notes: “Retired product may be returned to a local recycling agency or to Starlink, for a refurbishment process, enabling another life span of the product.”
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Principal Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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