SpaceX Starlink hits 12 million users as China launches 11th batch of its rival satellite internet constellation

SpaceX announced that its Starlink broadband service now has more than 12 million active subscribers in over 160 countries, with the fleet of satellites exceeding 10,000 in orbit. Elon Musk said the upcoming V3 generation of satellites will provide ten‑to‑twenty times the capacity of the current system and cut latency roughly in half by operating at a lower altitude of about 350 km. The upgrade is expected to boost total usable bandwidth by more than 100 times and supports high‑performance applications such as AI, autonomous systems and robotics. Starlink already contributes around 60 % of SpaceX’s projected 2025 revenue.

In parallel, China successfully launched the 11th group of its "Space Sail" (Chienfan) satellite network, sending 18 new low‑Earth‑orbit satellites on a Long March‑6 rocket from Taiyuan. The launch is part of an ambitious plan to build a mega‑constellation of up to 14 000 satellites, with an initial target of 1 296 satellites to provide global broadband coverage. The rollout aims to position China as a major competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink in the worldwide internet‑in‑space market.