Musk's Starlink Rockets To 4 Million Subscribers

Starlink's subscriber count is accelerating and has passed the 4 million milestone, up from the 2.3 million it claimed in its 2023 progress report.

According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, there are currently 6,426 Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth, of which 6,371 are operational. However, considering the rate at which SpaceX is launching the spacecraft, that figure will soon need revising upwards. The last set of 20 was launched on September 25, and the next batch is expected to go into orbit on October 2.

Some reports have put the revenue from Starlink at over $6 billion – The Register asked SpaceX to confirm and will update this piece should a response be forthcoming – which, according to company boss Elon Musk, "is the primary source of funding for Starship."

Not everyone is delighted with the success of Starlink. While the company has taken steps to reduce the visible brightness of the satellites, astronomers have reported that the second generation of the spacecraft is leaking enough unintended electromagnetic radiation (UEMR) to interfere with radio astronomy observations.

While Starlink's numbers are impressive, there is competition in the satellite broadband marketplace. OneWeb, which recently merged with Eutelsat, has 634 satellites in orbit, of which 632 are operational. The next batch will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on September 30.

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In addition to differing orbits – OneWeb satellites operate at approximately 1,200 km, while Starlink spacecraft orbit at 550 km – the two also have contrasting business plans. OneWeb prefers business customers, while Starlink is quite happy to serve residential users, hence the 4 million subscribers.

The Register asked Eutelsat OneWeb for its subscriber count and response to Starlink's milestone. We will update this piece should the company respond.

Starlink will also face competition from Amazon's Project Kuiper, once Bezos' birds actually start launching in serious numbers. The initial plan for Project Kuiper is to get a constellation of 3,232 satellites into orbit, of which half must be operating by July 2026, according to the company's FCC license.

However, commercial service from Project Kuiper is unlikely to commence until well into 2025, meaning Starlink has plenty of time to keep notching up subscribers.

Those Starship test launches, after all, won't pay for themselves. ®