Starlink reaches 12 million subscribers as SpaceX prepares V3 satellite launch

Starlink added 1.7 million paid subscribers in the second quarter of 2026, bringing its global customer base to 12 million, while SpaceX confirmed it plans to deploy its next-generation V3 satellites into operational orbit during the upcoming Starship test flight.

SpaceX's Q2 earnings indicated that Starlink's subscriber base has doubled compared with a year earlier, despite recent price increases and the end of several promotional offers for residential plans, Caliber.Az reports, citing PC Mag.

The company said connectivity revenue rose 32% quarter-on-quarter and 66% year-on-year to $4.3 billion, driven by continued subscriber growth. Average revenue per user remained unchanged at $66 per month, which SpaceX attributed to the global expansion of the service and pricing tailored to local markets.

During the earnings call, CEO Elon Musk announced that Starlink's gigabit-capable V3 satellites will be launched into operational orbit aboard Starship Flight 14. A previous Starship test flight deployed V3 satellites as part of a short-duration demonstration before they re-entered the atmosphere. SpaceX said engineers successfully communicated with all satellites via radio-frequency and laser links and retrieved key telemetry data.

Musk made it clear that the company would need a "critical mass" of roughly 1,000 V3 satellites before it could begin offering higher internet speeds, a milestone he expects to reach around the second quarter of next year.

Starlink's enterprise and government business also expanded rapidly, with revenue in the segment increasing 63% quarter-on-quarter and 108% year-on-year to $1.8 billion.

"I would expect enterprise revenue to substantially exceed consumer revenue," Musk said, citing strong business demand.

Overall, SpaceX reported $7.8 billion in revenue for the second quarter, up 92% from a year earlier, though it posted a net loss of $541 million. The company added that it ended the quarter with $100 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, along with a $47.5 billion backlog.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov