HAWTHORNE, Calif. — SpaceX said Monday that its Starlink satellite internet service has surpassed 10 million active subscribers worldwide, a milestone that cements the constellation as the fastest-growing internet provider on the planet and a financial engine for Elon Musk's space company.
A Decade of Buildout Pays Off
Starlink crossed the 10 million mark on the strength of a relentless launch cadence and steady demand from rural households, maritime and aviation customers, and entire regions that traditional carriers never bothered to wire. The service now reaches users across more than 140 countries and territories, and SpaceX has been adding capacity faster than rivals can even plan their own networks.
The subscriber surge rides on the company's record launch year, which recently saw SpaceX set a new annual flight record with its 150th launch. Each mission lofts dozens of upgraded satellites, expanding bandwidth and shrinking the coverage gaps that once limited the service to niche markets.
From Broadband to a Full Carrier
Growth is no longer just about home internet. SpaceX has moved aggressively into mobile connectivity, a shift underscored when it bought 800 MHz of spectrum to turn Starlink into a wireless carrier. The direct-to-cell effort promises to erase dead zones for ordinary smartphones, a feature that could pull in millions more users who never thought of Starlink as a phone service at all.
