SpaceX Aims Sky-High, Starlink Hits 2 Million Users, Targets Gigabit Internet by 2026

SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service has recently crossed a major milestone, announcing it serves over 2 million active customers in the United States as of July 2025.

This growth from 1.4 million customers last year is attributed to aggressive pricing strategies and expanded service options, positioning Starlink as a rising competitor in the US broadband market.

How is Starlink managing to grow in the US market?

Starlink has bolstered its user base by offering a lower-cost "Residential Lite" tier at $80 per month and free Starlink dishes to customers committing to a 12-month contract. These incentives have played a key role in penetrating underserved and rural markets.

However, some regions have seen surcharges on new customers to manage high demand, highlighting how rapid growth is stretching network capacity.

Did you know?
Each V3 Starlink satellite is designed to provide over a terabit per second of downlink capacity, more than 20 times the current satellite launches.

What are the challenges facing SpaceX’s next satellite launch?

While Starlink's current fleet, launched primarily via Falcon 9 rockets, continues expanding with over 2,300 satellites deployed this year, the company’s next big advancement depends on SpaceX’s Starship vehicle.

The Starship rocket, designed to carry dozens of heavier, more powerful V3 satellites, has faced multiple explosive test failures, delaying the planned launches originally set for 2024.

ALSO READ | Starlink Outage Sparks Chaos as Thousands Across US Lose Internet Overnight

Starlink’s new V3 satellites promise gigabit internet speeds

The third-generation V3 satellites are engineered to provide over 1,000 Gbps of downlink and 200 Gbps of uplink capacity, a huge leap expected to bring gigabit internet speeds to Starlink users.

This level of bandwidth could make satellite internet competitive with traditional ground-based fiber optic services, especially in remote areas lacking infrastructure.

SpaceX leverages Starship rocket for a satellite capacity leap

Each Starship launch is expected to add about 60 Tbps of capacity by deploying approximately 50 V3 satellites, a capacity twenty times greater than current launches.

Despite delays, CEO Elon Musk projects the first V3 launches within 6 to 9 months, enabling latency below 20 milliseconds, critical for real-time applications and gaming.

Starlink's ongoing growth and technical advancements signal a transformative shift in US broadband access, but success rests heavily on overcoming Starship’s developmental hurdles.