SpaceX introduces new Starlink upgrade- Beam Switching to maintain steady connection dodging obstacles

SpaceX has recently announced a new Starlink upgrade- Beam Switching that keeps the satellite internet flowing, even if a Starlink dish is partially obstructed.

Starlink is built to deliver reliable high-speed internet, even when a customer’s view of the sky isn’t perfect.

Starlink terminals automatically switch between satellites in real time to address any degradation in the link → https://t.co/NRzPcVgpDi pic.twitter.com/X0TRDOwl7C

— Starlink (@Starlink) August 1, 2025

Starlink Beam Switching

Trees, buildings, and other obstacles can temporarily block the connection to a given satellite, but the beam switching system is designed in such a way that these are generally imperceptible to the user. A given user terminal in the US has 10s of satellites in view, providing diversity to route traffic via a satellite with a stable and unobstructed connection.

It is revealed that, “As a Starlink terminal communicates with satellites overhead, it continuously builds a real-time obstruction map, allowing Starlink to dynamically understand its environment. With this information, it can proactively select the best and most stable connection. These proactive satellite switches are imperceptible to the user and occur many times per minute- with Starlink’s low-Earth-orbiting satellites rapidly transiting the sky, it’s a natural part of the system.”

As per the company, for dynamic obstructions, such as are encountered by mobile terminals, the system reactively switches in less than 1/10th of a second, allowing a connection to remain stable.

To help customers get the most out of their service, the Starlink app includes a built-in tool to preview the install location and guide customers to the best placement with the fewest obstructions.  After setup, the app provides a live obstruction map that shows exactly where signal blockages are occurring. Starlink also measures uptime 10 times a second from every terminal, transparently reporting any outage that is longer than 1/10th of a second in the app. While for well-installed, even partially obstructed terminals, this uptime is typically at the 99.99% level.

This beam switching is possible due to a denser satellite network and increasingly advanced algorithms that make the service more resilient.