Starlink expands reach
Starlink says its service now reaches more than 150 countries with about 11 million subscribers, extending high‑speed satellite internet well beyond city centers. The announcement highlights travel and disaster use — positioning the network for connectivity in remote areas where traditional broadband is sparse. (x.com)
Starlink said its satellite internet service now spans more than 150 markets worldwide, extending broadband coverage far beyond wired networks. (starlink.com) On its availability map, Starlink says it is available in “150+ countries, territories, and other markets around the world,” with roaming service for travelers starting at $50 a month in those markets. The company also says its network delivers more than 99.9% average uptime and speeds of up to 400 megabits per second in most places. (starlink.com) Starlink’s hardware pitch has also shifted toward mobility. Its Starlink Mini terminal, now featured on the company’s homepage, is a backpack-sized dish with a built-in Wi-Fi router and claimed download speeds above 200 megabits per second. (starlink.com) The service works by linking a user dish to thousands of satellites flying in low Earth orbit, much closer than traditional communications satellites. Starlink’s emergency-response page says that lower orbit allows lower delay, and that the system can be deployed in minutes in remote or damaged areas. (starlink.com) That matters in places where fiber lines and cell towers are sparse, expensive to build, or knocked out by storms and earthquakes. Starlink says it has been used after wildfires in Maui and Los Angeles and after earthquakes in Vanuatu and Ecuador to keep responders and families connected. (starlink.com) The company’s reach has grown quickly. Broadband Breakfast reported in March 2026 that Starlink had passed 10 million subscribers worldwide in February, up from about 9 million in December 2025. (broadbandbreakfast.com) Regulators have also opened new uses for the network beyond dish-based home internet. In March 2024, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a “Supplemental Coverage from Space” framework to let satellite operators and mobile carriers use space-based links to fill wireless dead zones. (fcc.gov) That framework led to a November 26, 2024 authorization for SpaceX to provide direct-to-cell service with T-Mobile, the first Federal Communications Commission approval of that kind. Via Satellite reported the service was designed to let ordinary phones send messages through Starlink satellites in rural areas and during disasters. (docs.fcc.gov) (satellitetoday.com) Starlink is presenting that mix of home broadband, travel hardware, and emergency backup as one network. The company’s latest expansion claim shows how much of its growth now depends on serving places that cable and cellular networks still miss. (starlink.com)
