A new report from the speed test firm, Ookla has revealed a significant boost in Starlink’s performance, attributing its near-doubled internet speeds primarily to an impressive expansion of its orbiting fleet of over 7,600 satellites.
According to Ookla’s findings, Starlink’s median download speeds have steadily climbed, jumping from 53.95 megabits per second (Mbps) in the third quarter of 2022 to an impressive 104.71 Mbps by the first quarter of 2025. This remarkable improvement comes even as the satellite internet provider has seen its global customer base surge, growing by approximately 5 million users over the same period to surpass the 6 million mark worldwide.
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“The fact that Starlink’s median download speeds nearly doubled… is definitely a notable and impressive development,” commented Sue Marek, editorial director at Ookla. She attributes this surge in performance to Starlink’s aggressive efforts in expanding its satellite constellation, indicating that the continuous deployment of new satellites is directly translating into enhanced network capacity and improved speeds for subscribers.
Indeed, the numbers speak for themselves. At the beginning of 2022, Starlink had around 1,761 satellites in orbit. Today, that number has swelled to 7,607, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who meticulously tracks space objects. SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, has openly declared its ambitious long-term goal of launching as many as 42,000 satellites into space, signaling even greater capacity expansion in the future.
This massive satellite deployment will be critical as Starlink eyes a potentially significant role in government-backed broadband initiatives, particularly with recent changes to the US Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The programme could funnel up to $20 billion in subsidies towards providers connecting rural areas. However, despite the speed improvements, industry experts remain cautious, questioning Starlink’s ability to onboard millions of new customers without eventually experiencing a dip in performance.
Ookla’s data highlights this concern, showing that only 17.4% of Starlink customers currently consistently achieve the minimum broadband speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload as defined by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – a benchmark also required for BEAD funding. While most subscribers are indeed meeting the 100 Mbps download speed, Starlink’s median upload speeds hover at a modest 14.84 Mbps, and its latency stands at 45 milliseconds (ms), significantly higher than the average of 12ms for typical broadband, though still acceptable for most online activities.
The Starlink experience, it appears, can vary considerably depending on geographical location and network congestion. Recently, the company introduced a “demand fee” of $500 in congested high-use areas, such as parts of the Pacific Northwest. Conversely, in areas with more available capacity, Starlink has been offering its $349 satellite dish for free.
In addition, Ookla noted that the areas where Starlink is offering free equipment and found that all of them, except West Texas and Alaska, had median download speeds over 100Mbps. South Dakota, Rhode Island and Wyoming had the highest percentage of customers meeting the 100/20Mbps benchmark, while Alaska, Mississippi and Louisiana had the lowest.
