Starlink moved from an application for satellite capacity to a broadband service and satellite-to-phone partnerships. Its growth also involved conditional regulatory approvals and a disputed US rural-broadband funding decision.
SpaceX reported 13.6 million unique Starlink consumer service lines as of 30 September 2026. This company metric counts service lines, not individual people. Satellite authorizations describe permitted capacity, not satellites already in orbit.
17 events shown
The FCC's later authorization identifies 15 November 2016 as the filing date of SpaceX's application for its non-geostationary satellite system.
A filing records a party's position. It is not by itself a finding.
The FCC adopted a conditional authorization for 4,425 satellites. The order was released the next day.
SpaceX's prospectus dates the start of Starlink constellation deployment to 2019.
SpaceX's prospectus records activation of Starlink broadband service in 2020.
The FCC adopted a modification moving 2,814 authorized satellites from planned altitudes of 1,100 to 1,300 kilometres to 540 to 570 kilometres, subject to conditions.
Elon Musk and T-Mobile chief executive Mike Sievert announced plans to connect phones using Starlink satellites and T-Mobile spectrum. It was an announced service plan, not a commercial launch.
An attributed statement records what the speaker said.
The D.C. Circuit upheld the FCC’s lower-orbit approval against DISH’s interference challenge. It did not decide the environmental claims on their merits because Viasat and The Balance Group did not satisfy the applicable requirements to bring them.
The FCC adopted permission for 7,500 Gen2 satellites and deferred the remainder of SpaceX's proposed 29,988-satellite system. The order was released on 1 December.
The FCC upheld rejection of Starlink's application for rural broadband support. Starlink argued that the agency had used an excessively demanding standard and misread the evidence. The order was released on 12 December and included dissenting opinions.
The D.C. Circuit affirmed the 7,500-satellite licensing order after challenges by DISH and the International Dark-Sky Association. It upheld the FCC’s interference and environmental analysis for that authorization.
The Wireline Competition Bureau dismissed Greg Weisiger’s petition seeking to restore Starlink’s funding eligibility and rejected his waiver request. This was a third-party petition, not a new Starlink appeal, and the dismissal rested on procedural grounds.
Kenya's communications regulator reported increased satellite internet subscriptions and bandwidth in the quarter ended June 2024, following Starlink's licensing and rollout. It did not describe every satellite subscription as a Starlink customer.
The FCC's Space Bureau granted parts of SpaceX's application for supplemental coverage from space in the United States and direct-to-cell operations abroad, with conditions and other requests deferred.
Deutsche Telekom’s annual report records T-Mobile US launching T-Satellite on 23 July 2025. The service connects compatible smartphones through Starlink satellites beyond terrestrial coverage.
The Space Bureau authorized a further 7,500 Gen2 satellites, taking the authorized total to 15,000, with conditions. That total is not a count of satellites already launched.
The FCC granted conditional permission for 15,000 direct-to-device satellites. This is separate from January’s Gen2 broadband authorization. The order still described reconsideration petitions concerning the 2022 Gen2 grant as pending.
The quarterly filing reports 13.6 million unique Starlink consumer service lines as of 30 September 2026. Service lines are not a count of individual users.
A filing records a party's position. It is not by itself a finding.
Coverage through 22 October 2026. Editorial review: 3 November 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Copyright concerns: report an asset. Every event links to its sources. Source type does not establish whether a claim is true.