https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/Ongoing. 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.enhttps://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e16starlink-48d2bb00f6Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000The 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e15starlink-560a86ae20Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000The 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e14starlink-9278d72976Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000The 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e13starlink-59c47f9c44Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000Deutsche 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e12starlink-88bad2824cTue, 26 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000The 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e11starlink-815c5c188dMon, 14 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000Kenya'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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e10starlink-4d6f3cbba8Fri, 30 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000The 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e9starlink-a0e9e5e5beFri, 12 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000The 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e8starlink-1ea36001ccFri, 01 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000The 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e7starlink-6a4893f742Tue, 29 Nov 2022 12:00:00 +0000The 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e6starlink-f5ea05e027Fri, 26 Aug 2022 12:00:00 +0000The 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e5starlink-09ea252324Thu, 25 Aug 2022 12:00:00 +0000Elon 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e4starlink-b269d9b998Fri, 23 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0000The 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.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e3starlink-5d190cddeaWed, 01 Jul 2020 12:00:00 +0000SpaceX's prospectus records activation of Starlink broadband service in 2020.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e2starlink-c93e958c05Mon, 01 Jul 2019 12:00:00 +0000SpaceX's prospectus dates the start of Starlink constellation deployment to 2019.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e1starlink-1f1f8574a8Wed, 28 Mar 2018 12:00:00 +0000The FCC adopted a conditional authorization for 4,425 satellites. The order was released the next day.https://howitunfolded.com/companies/starlink/#e0starlink-729d208d06Tue, 15 Nov 2016 12:00:00 +0000The FCC's later authorization identifies 15 November 2016 as the filing date of SpaceX's application for its non-geostationary satellite system.