Starlink Roadmap 2026: When is Gigabit Speed Arriving?

Starlink claims download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second are coming soon, with the goal to debut them sometime in 2026. Starlink has already taken the world by storm with its satellite internet technology and has no plans to stop advancing its service until it is indistinguishable from traditional ISPs. 

Starlink's answer for improved speeds and network capacity is more satellites. Parent company SpaceX received the thumbs-up from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch more satellites to expand its constellation up to 15,000, which, as of publication, sits at about 9,500. New technology will also be behind the expansion, with a third-generation satellite expected to launch soon, but it will depend on SpaceX's Starship being ready for mass deployment this year.

Starlink residential customers in the U.S. can currently expect download speeds between 100 and 300Mbps, depending on their location. According to Starlink's speed map, users on Priority plans can reach speeds above 300Mbps.

Starlink isn't the only satellite internet company with ambitions for gigabit speeds. Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, has announced plans for 1Gbps download speeds, with the service available as soon as the end of 2026. Whether or not that comes to fruition, both companies are now racing to the point where they can confidently tell customers that their service is capable of 1Gbps speeds. While less is known about Amazon Leo's satellite technology, Starlink has outlined its plans in a loose roadmap to get to that point. 

Starlink’s ambition to provide fiber-like speeds from space will begin with its next-generation satellites. The company has been launching its second-generation satellites, which use laser communication for faster data transmission. It has announced that it’s developing a third-generation of satellites to achieve greater bandwidth. These satellites will be larger and able to transmit exponentially more data.

"SpaceX is targeting to begin launching its third-generation satellites in 2026," according to Starlink's 2025 end of year report. The document claims that each satellite can provide 10 times the downlink capacity of current-generation satellites. 

With one terabit of bandwidth, third-generation satellites could handle more ground terminals at higher speeds. The report does not mention when the V3 satellites will be ready for launch.

The other phase of boosting Starlink speeds will also depend on the number of satellites SpaceX can launch into lower Earth orbit. As of the beginning of 2025, there are about 6,800 working Starlink satellites, but the company’s goal is to operate close to 30,000. Since the satellites have a lifespan of about five years, they will need to be continually launched to replace those that burn up in the atmosphere. 

The key to this initiative is SpaceX’s Starship vehicle, which the company has been testing throughout 2025, with more successes than failures. Starship is unique in that it’s engineered to be completely reusable. SpaceX successfully tested its “Mechzilla” launch tower, which also catches the booster when it returns to the ground. Ideally, SpaceX can launch Starship and its payload, land it, refuel it, and then launch again within hours.

“I would not be surprised if we fly Starship 400 times in the next 4 years, said SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, speaking at an investor conference.

As of January 2026, Starlink has launched more than 650 specialized direct-to-cellular satellites, enough to provide text services to customers in 5G dead zones. Starlink is far from done on improving the coverage and performance of direct-to-cellular services, and it may not be just for its carrier partners, such as T-Mobile