---
title: "Starlink in the USA gets faster: upload speed grew by 42%, download hits 120 Mbps"
description: "According to Speedtest data for H1 2025–2026, Starlink in the USA accelerated: upload increased by 42% to 20.73 Mbps, download by 12% to 119.71 Mbps. SpaceX subscriber count reached 13.6 million, and the share of users hitting FCC benchmarks rose from 18.9% to 40%."
date: 2026-11-12T20:31:23.361Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/starlink-usa-speed-2026-speedtest
tags: [starlink, spacex, satellite-internet, speedtest, broadband, usa, v2-mini, v3]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Starlink in the USA gets faster: upload speed grew by 42%, download hits 120 Mbps

![Starlink satellite in orbit above planet Earth with a view of North America](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/starlink-ssha-skorost-2026-speedtest/starlink-ssha-skorost-2026-speedtest-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Median Starlink upload speed in the USA rose 42% to 20.73 Mbps, download speed rose 12% to 119.71 Mbps
- The share of users hitting FCC minimum benchmarks (100/20 Mbps) increased from 18.9% to 40%
- Regions with median ping below 40 ms rose from 11 to 25 due to new ground gateways and lower orbits
- In Q3 2026, SpaceX had 13.6 million subscribers worldwide, with about one-fifth in the USA
- Starlink still trails fiber and T-Mobile, but V3 satellites with 10x the throughput of V2 Mini may shift the landscape in 2027

Satellite internet Starlink in the USA shows consistent speed growth, even though its subscriber base continues to expand rapidly. According to a recent report for 2026, based on Speedtest data for the first halves of 2025 and 2026, the most noticeable improvement was in upload speeds. Median upload speed increased by 42% reaching 20.73 Mbps, with gains recorded in every state and Washington D.C. ranging from 25% to 70%. One of the key reasons is the increased share of V2 Mini satellites, which now account for about two-thirds of the active constellation.

### Download speed grows slower, but more users exceed FCC thresholds

Download speeds grew more modestly — by 12% to 119.71 Mbps, and in 16 states and Washington D.C., the median metric actually decreased. This is linked to the popularity of lower-cost plans that cap speeds at 100 Mbps. However, the share of Starlink users hitting the FCC broadband benchmark — 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload — increased from 18.9% to 40%. Thus, even with modest growth in median download speed, the network is increasingly providing a baseline level of broadband access.

### Latency: new gateways and lower orbits

National latency has remained almost unchanged on average, yet improved in 49 states and Washington D.C. The number of regions with a median ping below 40 ms rose from 11 to 25. According to the report, this was facilitated by new ground gateways and internet connection points located closer to users, as well as the lowering of some satellite orbits. This is vital for interactive scenarios — from video calls to online gaming, where latency is critical.

### Subscriber base and geography: urban growth outpaces rural

The number of Starlink speed tests in the USA grew by 41.8% over the year. According to SpaceX, in Q3 2026, the company had 13.6 million subscribers worldwide — 1.6 million more than the previous quarter, with about one-fifth of users based in the USA. Starlink is increasingly attracting urban residents: the number of tests in cities increased by 73%, compared to 33% in rural areas. The fastest Starlink for download speeds was recorded in Utah, while Florida showed the worst results, and the Southeast USA as a whole proved to be the slowest region. Texas, Florida, and Washington were simultaneously among the states with the highest number of tests and in the bottom ten for speed, although even in Florida, the median upload speed grew by 50%.

### Competition and prospects: what V3 satellites promise

Despite improvements, Starlink still trails behind fiber-optic providers and the three largest fixed-line internet operators: T-Mobile's median speed is nearly twice as high as SpaceX's satellite network. However, this may change with the mass deployment of Starlink V3 satellites, whose throughput is claimed to be ten times higher than V2 Mini. Their impact on statistics is expected to become noticeable as early as 2027.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Спутниковый интернет Starlink становится быстрее несмотря на рост числа абонентов: в США скорость достигла 120 Мбит/с](https://www.ixbt.com/news/2026/11/12/sputnikovyi-internet-starlink-stanovitsia-bystree-nesmotria-na-rost-cisla-abonentov-v-ssa-skorost-dostigla-120-mbits.html) - Primary source: all figures on speed, ping, subscribers, and geography are from the H1 2025–H1 2026 Speedtest report.
- [Starlink Маска завоевывает авиацию: в каких авиакомпаниях уже есть спутниковый Wi-Fi на борту](https://www.unian.net/tourism/news/starlink-v-samoletah-nazvany-kompanii-predostavlyayushchie-sputnikovyy-wi-fi-13462329.html) - Context: confirms constellation scale and expansion; does not contradict the report data.
- [Высокоскоростной спутниковый интернет с минимальной задержкой Starlink захватывает целый ...](https://www.ixbt.com/news/2026/07/17/vysokoskorostnoj-sputnikovyj-internet-s-minimalnoj-zaderzhkoj-starlink-zahvatyvaet-celyj-kontinent-k-seti-podkljuchili.html) - Первоисточник: все цифры по скорости, пингу, абонентам и географии взяты из этого отчёта (Speedtest, H1 2025–H1 2026).
- [NZZ: европейская альтернатива Starlink становится все дороже](https://news.mail.ru/economics/72834457/) - Context: confirms SpaceX's market leadership; does not contradict report figures.

## FAQ

### How much has Starlink speed in the USA increased?

Median upload speed rose by 42% to 20.73 Mbps, and download speed increased by 12% to 119.71 Mbps. Upload gains were recorded in every state and Washington D.C.

### Why did download speed growth slow down, and why did it drop in some states?

This is linked to the popularity of budget plans capped at 100 Mbps. In 16 states and D.C., median download metrics actually fell.

### What changed with signal latency (ping)?

Nationally, latency is mostly unchanged, but it improved in 49 states and D.C. The number of regions with sub-40ms ping grew from 11 to 25, thanks to new gateways and lower orbits.

### How many Starlink subscribers does SpaceX have?

As of Q3 2026, SpaceX had 13.6 million subscribers globally, with about one-fifth of those located in the USA.

### Where is Starlink fastest and slowest?

Utah is the fastest for download speeds, while Florida performed the worst. The Southeast USA is the slowest region overall.

### Does Starlink compete with wired internet?

Starlink currently lags behind fiber providers: T-Mobile's median speed is twice as fast. V3 satellites with 10x higher capacity than V2 Mini are expected to change this by 2027.