SpaceX's Starlink doubled its reported service lines to 12 million by June 2026, as India's security process and Delta's Amazon Leo choice illustrate the hurdles facing its expansion.
A SpaceX filing shows the count rising from 6 million in June 2025 to 12 million at the end of June 2026. The company defines a subscriber as a service line, so the figure is not a one-to-one count of individual users. Average monthly revenue per subscriber fell to $66 in the quarter from $85 a year earlier. SpaceX linked the decline mainly to international expansion and the addition of lower-priced plans.
Connectivity generated $4.291 billion in revenue and $1.656 billion in operating income in the quarter ended June 30. SpaceX's Space segment had a $542 million operating loss, while its AI segment reported a $1.257 billion loss.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) dashboard showed 1,087.50 million broadband subscribers in June 2026. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk alleged that unnamed “oligarchs” were preventing Starlink from entering India. The Ministry of Communications said security reviews were underway for all three licensed satellite providers and described them as being at roughly the same regulatory stage. A provider can apply for spectrum after clearing its review. The ministry gave no timetable and did not explain why any provider's assessment remained pending. Reliance Industries said it welcomed competition and that Jio's satellite services were also awaiting clearances.
Delta Air Lines' planned rollout covers 500 aircraft, with installations scheduled to begin in 2028. Chief Executive Ed Bastian called the agreement the “fastest and most cost-effective technology available.” Separately, after remarks attributed to Bastian circulated online, Musk posted that the Delta chief “will lose his job over this.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the remarks attributed to Bastian had not been verified.
The Associated Press reported that Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary rejected Starlink, citing the expense of its antenna equipment and the additional fuel use. India's ministry has not set a date for completing the security reviews; Delta's installation schedule begins in 2028.
