What Is Starlink? A Complete Guide to SpaceX's Satellite Internet

Starlink is a constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites operated by SpaceX that provides broadband internet to most of the planet. As of 2026, more than 7,000 active Starlink satellites circle Earth at altitudes between 340 and 570 km — the largest satellite constellation in human history.

How Starlink works in plain terms

1. A user terminal — the dish — connects to the nearest visible Starlink satellite via radio.
2. The satellite either relays the connection to a ground station via radio, or — for newer satellites — to another satellite via laser.
3. A ground station connects the data to the wider internet through fiber backhaul.
4. Each satellite hands off the connection to the next as orbital geometry changes — every 4 to 5 minutes.

Why low Earth orbit?

Geostationary internet satellites sit 36,000 km up. The round-trip light delay is around 600 ms — too slow for video calls or fast-paced gaming. Starlink satellites are 340-570 km up, giving round-trip latency under 50 ms in good conditions.

Number of active satellites

7,000+ (as of early 2026)

Total launches

~250 dedicated Starlink launches

Subscribers

5+ million globally

Typical speeds

50-250 Mbps download, 10-30 Mbps upload

Typical latency

20-50 ms

Coverage

Most populated land areas + maritime/aviation

Starlink hardware tiers

• Standard — the entry-level kit for residential use, suited for homes.
• Mini — small portable terminal that fits in a backpack, ideal for travel and RVs.
• Roam (formerly RV) — service plan that lets the dish travel anywhere coverage exists.
• Maritime — high-throughput dish for boats with multi-orbit beam tracking.
• Aviation — Starlink Aviation provides in-flight Wi-Fi for several airlines.
• Direct to Cell — service that talks directly to standard LTE phones, no dish required.

Why subscribers love it

For rural users, Starlink is often the first time they have had real broadband. For travelers, it is the first time fast internet has been available at sea or in remote areas. For digital nomads, it is a gateway to working anywhere on Earth. The combination of speed, low latency, and global coverage has no historical equivalent.