Outlook Business Desk
Elon Musk’s Starlink has crossed 9mn active customers worldwide, the company said. The SpaceX-owned satellite internet service added one million users in less than seven weeks.
The company added one million new users in under seven weeks, rising from 8mn in early November, translating to over 20,000 daily sign-ups worldwide.
Starlink currently provides high-speed internet across 155 countries and territories, according to the company, extending access to regions where fibre and mobile networks remain unavailable or unreliable.
Starlink offers broadband connectivity in areas beyond the reach of traditional networks, including remote regions, ships at sea and aircraft. The service operates through over 9,000 low Earth orbit satellites, which Elon Musk has described as a global “mesh of connectivity.”
Meanwhile, Elon Musk has said that Starlink could eventually serve “hundreds of millions” of users, with speeds and latency comparable to terrestrial broadband.
SpaceX has been in talks with India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to obtain the required approvals, and recent reports indicate the company has renewed efforts to launch Starlink in the Indian market.
Elon Musk recently indicated that the Starlink launch in India could be imminent. Replying to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, he wrote, “Looking forward to serving India with @Starlink.”
Reports say SpaceX is also preparing to take Starlink public next year, with a potential $1.5trn valuation. Musk has said Starlink’s profitability could make it self-sustaining, allowing focus on Mars missions.