SpaceX’s Starlink Breaks Records: Serves Over 2 Million Active Users in the U.S. or Starlink by SpaceX Reaches Milestone of 2 Million Active Customers in United States
SpaceX, the leading innovator in satellite internet technology, reported an increase in Starlink customer base to over 2 million active users in the United States. This figure represents a substantial growth from approximately 1.4 million customers reported last year. The company’s post on Tuesday highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance the satellite internet service, revealing that the median download speed during peak demand in July 2025 reached nearly 200 Mbps across more than 2 million active Starlink users in the US.
While SpaceX did not provide a definition for “active customers,” or specify whether the figure includes paid subscribers, multiple users sharing a single account, or both, the growth suggests that the company’s efforts to attract more US users are yielding positive results. This development follows signs of slowed growth in previous months.
In December 2023, SpaceX informed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that Starlink had over 1.4 million customers within the US — a marginal increase from the previously reported 1.3 million figure. To drive growth, SpaceX has introduced various promotions, such as providing free Starlink dishes to eligible customers who commit to a year of service and launching a more affordable “Residential Lite” plan for certain regions priced at $80 per month, down from the standard $120 per month Residential plan.
Tim Farrar, a satellite industry analyst, commented that the US growth might be attributed to the introduction of the low-priced Lite package and free terminals with a year’s commitment. However, the company reported only modest growth in Canada, with a customer base of over 500,000 — an increase of just 100,000 users compared to last year. Globally, Starlink boasts a customer base of more than 6 million.
In addition to announcing the growing user base, SpaceX also revealed plans to upgrade Starlink with gigabit speeds starting next year. The company is currently developing third-generation Starlink satellites, known as V3. These new satellites are designed to offer over a terabit per second of downlink capacity (> 1,000 Gbps) and over 200 Gbps of uplink capacity to ground users.
The V3 satellites promise to elevate SpaceX’s satellite internet service to new heights, potentially making Starlink competitive with ground-based fiber. In fact, the company recently introduced a $1,999 performance dish designed to deliver gigabit speeds once the V3 satellites are deployed.
However, launching the heavier and more powerful V3 satellites requires SpaceX’s Starship rocket, which has yet to complete a full space mission due to technical issues. The company initially aimed to launch V3 satellites in 2024, but delays have necessitated a pushback of the timeline. According to Musk, Starship is expected to begin carrying V3 satellites within six to nine months, which should also help Starlink deliver latency below 20 milliseconds.
Each Starlink launch of third-generation satellites on Starship is projected to add 60 Tbps of capacity to the network, approximately 20 times the current capacity added with each launch. This suggests that Starship may be able to carry around 50 V3 satellites at a time.
In the interim, SpaceX has been using the Falcon 9 rocket to launch current-generation V2 satellites and bolster the Starlink network. The company stated that it deployed over 2,300 new Starlink satellites in the past year, adding close to “450 Tbps of cumulative capacity” to the network.
Despite growth in some areas, Starlink’s popularity has led to capacity constraints in certain parts of the US, such as the Pacific Northwest. In these regions, SpaceX has implemented an additional $1,000 “demand surcharge” to deter new users from joining the service.
