SpaceX wants to launch 100,000 more Starlink satellites - for 100x the bandwidth - ZDNET

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. It could mean faster internet for rural customers, but not everyone is happy. Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. Do you like Starlink internet? If so, you’ll love that its parent company, SpaceX, has applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch 100,000 third-generation (Gen3) Starlink satellites. The upshot for users? SpaceX promises to deliver “ultra-low-latency” multi-gigabit symmetrical broadband. Now, I’ll believe that when I see it. Today’s advertised peak is “up to” around 300 to 400+ Mbps down, but typical real-world speeds are much lower. Over at ZDNET’s sister publication, PCMag, reviewer Brian Westover found that even on Starlink’s top home plan, the Residential Max plan, mean download speeds plateaued in the 145 megabits per second (Mbps) to 170 Mbps range, with upload speeds of just under 40 Mbps. Also: I built my own Wi-Fi router with a Raspberry Pi for Starlink and solar control – here’s how That’s plodding compared to my home AT&T Internet fiber, which, day in and day out, delivers 2.1 gigabits

Jul 10, 2026 → Jul 15, 2026