"[T]hanks to a rush in technological advancements in the past decade, satellite internet has exploded in popularity, reaching areas where traditional land-based internet infrastructure is sparse or nonexistent, at increasingly reasonable prices.
Starlink, the most dominant satellite internet provider in the world, is practically synonymous with the industry. The Elon Musk-owned company has over 5 million customers, and is available in 125 countries and regions, covering about half of all the countries and territories in the world. In some countries, a Starlink subscription is even cheaper than the leading fixed internet service provider. Now, private companies and governments around the world are scrambling to bring their own alternatives online.
Eutelsat OneWeb, based in the U.K., is considered Starlink’s main global commercial competitor. The company delivers services through partnerships with governments, traditional ISPs, and other enterprises. Globalstar, based in the U.S., has dozens of satellites, and partners with Apple to provide texting services to newer iPhones. Amazon’s Project Kuiper launched the first phase of its fleet in April, and Orbit Connect India, a partnership between Jio Platforms and the Luxembourg-based SES, is currently developing a satellite internet service for India.
Governments and multinational unions around the world are increasingly leery of relying on Starlink, and building their own alternatives. The EU is financing its satellite internet service, IRIS2, through a mix of government agencies and private companies, with plans to launch satellites by 2029.
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Despite the billions of dollars of investment, and the thousands of satellites zipping around our planet, it’s still hard to really picture the satellite internet industry. So Rest of World pulled together data to help visualize the industry, and bring it down to earth."
https://restofworld.org/2025/satellites-space-based-internet/