Key Takeaways
1. Starlink has surpassed 2 million active customers in the US, gaining over 600,000 in the past year.
2. The service offers a median download speed of nearly 200 Mbps during peak times for its US customers.
3. SpaceX introduced a cheaper “Residential Lite” option at $80 per month to attract more subscribers.
4. While US growth is strong, other regions like Canada and Kenya are experiencing slower or declining subscriber growth.
5. SpaceX plans to roll out gigabit speeds with its upcoming V3 satellites, but the timeline may be affected by ongoing challenges with the Starship rocket program.
SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink, has reached a notable milestone, now providing service to over 2 million active customers in the US. This represents a significant increase in its American user base.
In the past year, the company gained more than 600,000 customers in the United States, indicating that efforts to spur growth, which seemed to be slowing, have been successful. This rise from 1.4 million US customers last year suggests that new strategies to draw users have been effective.
Performance Highlight
In a recent announcement marking this achievement, SpaceX emphasized the service’s performance. They stated, “In the United States alone, the median download speed across more than 2 million active Starlink customers during times of peak demand is nearly 200 Mbps as of July 2025.” The company has not clarified what they define as an “active customer” or whether the count accounts for multiple users sharing a single account. On a global scale, Starlink’s customer base now exceeds 6 million.
To increase its subscriber base in the US, SpaceX has implemented various promotional strategies. These include providing free Starlink dishes for customers willing to commit to a 12-month service plan.
New Pricing Plans
Moreover, the company has introduced a cheaper “Residential Lite” option in select regions, costing $80 per month, which is a significant reduction from the standard fee of $120 monthly. Tim Farrar, a satellite industry analyst, observed the likely impact of these promotions. He stated, “The US growth presumably reflects the low-priced Lite package and free terminals with a year’s commitment.” This growth trend continues despite public criticism faced by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
While the numbers in the US are on the rise, Starlink’s growth may not be as swift in other regions. The company announced that its customer count in Canada has surpassed 500,000.
Regional Challenges
However, Farrar noted that this is just a gain of 100,000 customers over the last year. In other areas, subscriber growth has either slowed down or declined. For instance, in Kenya, Starlink experienced its first quarterly drop in subscribers between December 2024 and March 2025, and a similar decrease was noted in Rwanda, hinting at possible growth challenges in certain markets.
SpaceX has bold ambitions to enhance its network, aiming to roll out gigabit speeds in the coming year. This upgrade relies on the company’s third-generation Starlink satellites, referred to as V3. SpaceX plans to start launching these advanced satellites in the first half of 2026.
“Each one of these new satellites is designed to provide over a terabit per second of downlink capacity (> 1,000 Gbps) and over 200 Gbps of uplink capacity to customers on the ground,” the company shared.
Future Prospects
The V3 satellites could position Starlink as a direct competitor to traditional fiber optic internet services. In preparation, SpaceX has already launched a new performance dish priced at $1,999, engineered to support these anticipated gigabit speeds.
The deployment of the larger and heavier V3 satellites relies entirely on SpaceX’s Starship rocket. This massive vehicle is designed to transport multiple next-generation satellites into orbit simultaneously.
Nevertheless, the Starship program has encountered major obstacles. The rocket has yet to successfully complete a full space mission, as its recent test flights have ended with explosions.
These repeated setbacks raise questions about the timeline for deploying the V3 satellites and the realization of a gigabit-speed Starlink network.
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