Thousands Report Disruption Across Satellite Internet Network
Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, experienced a widespread network outage on Thursday that disrupted service for thousands of users. According to Downdetector, the number of reported issues peaked at over 60,000 during the disruption, which lasted roughly two and a half hours.
The outage drew immediate attention due to Starlink’s growing role in global internet access, particularly in remote areas. Starlink, operated by SpaceX, has become a key player in the satellite broadband market, with increasing demand driven by its new direct-to-cell service and expanding international footprint.
Service Gradually Restored After Apology from Musk
At around 4:30 p.m. ET, Elon Musk publicly acknowledged the outage on his platform X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Service will be restored shortly.” About two hours later, Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s VP of Starlink engineering, posted that service had “mostly recovered.” Starlink later confirmed full restoration of services via another X update.
Despite the brief timeline, the outage caused frustration among users and raised questions about the service’s reliability. Starlink did not provide a detailed explanation for the network failure and did not respond to external requests for comment.
Rising Popularity Brings Infrastructure Pressure
The outage comes at a time when Starlink’s user base is rapidly growing. Musk had earlier highlighted the success of Starlink’s direct-to-cell initiative, launched in partnership with T-Mobile. The T-Satellite service, which aims to provide mobile connectivity in areas without cell towers, remained fully operational during the Starlink outage, according to T-Mobile.
Recent studies have indicated that Starlink’s internet speeds and reliability tend to decrease as the service becomes more saturated. The network strain, combined with rising demand from both residential and commercial users, underscores the challenges of scaling a global satellite network.
Tech Platforms Under Scrutiny for Downtime
The disruption adds to a string of service interruptions linked to Musk-owned platforms. X has suffered multiple outages in recent months, including significant disruptions in May and July. During one of those incidents, Musk acknowledged the need for “major operational improvements.”
As Starlink continues to grow and support more critical applications — including emergency communications, rural broadband, and mobile connectivity — maintaining network uptime will be crucial to its long-term credibility and competitiveness.