Study: With 2.7 Million Subscribers, Starlink is a Top 10 U.S. ISP
The low-Earth orbit satellite provider doubled its global subscriber base in 2025.
The low-Earth orbit satellite provider doubled its global subscriber base in 2025.
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2026 – Elon Musk’s Starlink is expanding the broadband market by serving rural communities.
New Street Research found that Starlink has 10 million subscribers globally, with 2.7 million of them in the U.S. The company has become a Top 10 U.S. Internet Service Provider.
The study found that cable has 60% of the U.S. broadband market, and only 20% of Starlink subscribers were former cable subscribers, meaning that very few are switching from cable to Starlink.
More than 85% of the company’s subscribers come from mostly rural areas, where internet access is hardest to get. Customers who are subscribing to Starlink are often new to broadband, with 10% of subscribers being new to broadband, New Street found.
Communities see setbacks in broadband access a year after funding loss.
Recipients can request a six-month extension after citing permitting delays, material shortages, and weather disruptions.
Median usage for fiber subscribers is triple that of cable's DOCSIS platform, report says.
The order eliminating 386 wireline rules is scheduled to take effect June 15.