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Starlink this week: 13.6 million users, faster V3 satellites on deck, and Ukraine’s speeds come back
SpaceX’s third-quarter report gave the clearest look yet at how fast Starlink is growing, and its executives spelled out how they plan to keep the network from getting crowded. Meanwhile Starlink Mobile picked up more spectrum, and the military speed caps in Ukraine were lifted. Here is what happened from roughly October 19 to 26, and what it means if you own a dish or are thinking about one.
Published 2026-10-26 · Independent article — not affiliated with Starlink or SpaceX.
1. Starlink passes 13.6 million subscribers
SpaceX reported third-quarter results on October 20. According to CNBC’s coverage, Starlink ended the quarter with 13.6 million subscribers, up from 12 million in the prior quarter, and average revenue per user rose to $69 from $66. Connectivity revenue, which is mostly Starlink, was $5.25 billion, up 69% from a year earlier: $3.12 billion from consumer subscribers and $2.13 billion from government and enterprise customers. SpaceX also said Starlink was active on more than 3,800 aircraft at the end of the quarter.
On the earnings call, COO and President Gwynne Shotwell said Starlink added 1.6 million customers in the quarter and is now active in 174 markets, according to Spaceflight Now. She added that the count “does not include additional hundreds of thousands of enterprise subscribers and aviation customers.” Spaceflight Now also reports that SpaceX’s SEC filing put the constellation at more than 11,100 satellites in low Earth orbit at quarter’s end, including 26 V3 satellites launched on Starship Flight 14.
What it means for you: more users means more people sharing each satellite beam. In busy areas, that has historically shown up as slower evening speeds, waitlists, or a one-time “congestion” charge at checkout. The rise in average revenue per user is a company-wide average, not a price change on your plan, and it can move with things like customers picking higher tiers. If you are signing up in a crowded region, check what Starlink shows for your exact address before you order.
2. The capacity plan: V3 satellites on Starship
SpaceX’s answer to crowding is bigger satellites. CFO Bret Johnsen said on the call, as quoted by Spaceflight Now: “Through the end of the year and throughout 2027, we expect to deploy V3 broadband satellites in meaningful volume, with each Starship launch ramping towards a payload that delivers over 20 times the downlink capacity of the current generation of Falcon 9 launches today.” Shotwell said Starship “will provide additional capacity across markets and enable new sales in high-demand areas.”
That depends on Starship flying often. Musk said the next Starship flight is expected in November and will try to catch both the booster and the ship, pending FAA approval, per the same report. In the meantime, Falcon 9 keeps topping up the current network: after three scrubs for weather and a technical issue, the Starlink 15-15 mission lifted off from Vandenberg on October 23 with 27 satellites, according to Spaceflight Now and Space.com.
What it means for you: this is the most important long-term item for dish owners. If V3 launches ramp through 2027 as planned, high-demand areas should get more headroom, and areas that are sold out today may open up. It is a plan, not a promise, and it will not change your speeds this month. If you are on the fence because your area shows a waitlist or extra fee, it is reasonable to check back over the next few quarters.
3. Starlink Mobile adds more spectrum, and reportedly wants cell sites
In an order released October 21, the FCC approved SpaceX’s purchase of three unpaired AWS-3 licenses in the 1695–1710 MHz band, covering three economic areas across 62 counties in eight states, or roughly 4% of the U.S. population, according to Wirefly. The spectrum is uplink-only, meaning it carries signals from a phone up to the network. The FCC also granted waivers letting SpaceX meet buildout rules with satellite service instead of towers. The bigger 800 MHz purchase we covered last week still needs FCC approval.
On October 22, Bloomberg reported that SpaceX was in talks to access at least 80,000 cell sites to build a wireless carrier, as summarized by Reuters. The report sent AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile shares lower the next day. SpaceX did not announce any such deal itself, so treat it as reporting, not a confirmed plan. On the earnings call, Johnsen said SpaceX will ramp Starlink Mobile V2 satellites on Starship starting in 2027.
What it means for you: there is still no consumer Starlink Mobile phone plan to buy, and none of this touches your home dish service. For the background on what phone-from-space can and can’t do, see our explainer on the FCC’s Starlink Mobile approval.
4. Ukraine’s military speed caps are lifted
The dispute over speed limits on military terminals in Ukraine ended, at least for now. Ukraine said on October 24 that Starlink and Starshield service had been restored to the speeds it had before the restrictions, after more than a week of disruption, according to NPR and AP. The limits had affected terminals moving faster than about 160 km/h (roughly 99 mph), such as fast drones, per Ars Technica. In a post on X, Musk said SpaceX did restrict Ukraine’s use because it had violated Starlink’s terms of service by using it for offensive military activity, NPR reported.
What it means for you: this was about military-grade service on fast-moving terminals, not home or RV dishes. It is a reminder that SpaceX can change how service behaves for whole groups of terminals. If you want the background on how the military side differs from consumer Starlink, read Starshield vs Starlink.
5. Quick plan check: no U.S. price changes
We did not find a U.S. price change this week. Roaming Dish’s plan tracker noted on October 23 that U.S. starting prices are unchanged, and Starlink’s service plans page remains the place to confirm Residential and Roam pricing for your address. As a reminder, Residential is the fixed-home product with speed tiers, while Roam is priced by monthly data and is meant for a dish that moves.
Trying to pick a Residential tier? Run your household’s devices and streams through the bandwidth calculator first, so you don’t pay for speed you won’t use.
Bottom line
Starlink is adding customers fast, and SpaceX’s own executives say the fix for crowding is V3 satellites launched on Starship through 2027. Nothing this week changes your price or speed today. The things worth watching are Starship’s November flight, the pace of V3 launches, and FCC action on the 800 MHz deal.
Sources
- CNBC, Oct 20–21, 2026: Q3 subscribers, ARPU, connectivity revenue, aircraft count.
- Spaceflight Now, Oct 20–23, 2026: Shotwell and Johnsen quotes, satellite count, Starlink 15-15 launch, next Starship flight.
- Space.com, Oct 23, 2026: Starlink 15-15 launch.
- Wirefly, Oct 22, 2026: FCC approval of AWS-3 licenses.
- Reuters via Investing.com, Oct 23, 2026: Bloomberg report on cell-site talks.
- NPR, Oct 24, 2026, AP, and Ars Technica: Ukraine restoration.
- Roaming Dish tracker and Starlink service plans: current pricing.
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