Will Starlink Finally Face Real Competition in 2026 or Are Its Rivals Still Catching Up?

It’s been five years since Starlink began serving its first customers, and since then, it’s transformed from a niche connectivity solution into a global satellite internet powerhouse. In 2025, the service not only doubled its user base to over 8 million but also rolled out satellite connectivity to everyday smartphones in cellular dead zones. 

SpaceX’s satellite internet is good enough that traditional geostationary satellite operators are losing subscribers. HughesNet even