A Starlink user terminal. Photo: SpaceX

A recent report from connectivity data provider Ookla found that SpaceX‘s Starlink customers made up an overwhelming majority of its speed test samples in the third quarter of 2025, dwarfing its competitors operating satellites in Geostationary Orbit (GEO). And those speed tests logged higher download speeds on Starlink, yet did match the level of speeds Starlink claims to deliver.

The report reflects the success of Starlink provider SpaceX’s vertically integrated business model in the consumer satellite internet market. However, an analyst for Ookla told Via Satellite that with rising supply of launch capabilities, demand for sovereign satellite internet, and competition with Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) providers, SpaceX’s future dominance is uncertain.

According to the report released Feb. 4, Starlink customers made up 97% of Ookla’s global speed test samples for satellite internet. Viasat was a distant second with 1.7% and HughesNet was third with 1%.

Starlink’s largest markets were the United States, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil and Canada. Its median upload and download speeds have been rising in its major markets and its latency measures have improved worldwide.

Ookla noted that its findings provide relative guidance and scale, but are not exact customer figures.

According to Ookla’s data, Starlink’s median download speed in the U.S. in Q3 was 129.61 Mbps.

A number of small countries showed the highest median Starlink download speeds including Latvia, the Northern Mariana Islands, New Zealand, Azerbaijan, and Portugal; all higher than 180 Mbps.

South Sudan, Madagascar, and Liberia saw some of the lowest download speeds in the range of around 16 to 27 Mbps.

Overall, Ookla’s speed test findings differ from Starlink’s reported speeds — a recent report from Starlink cites that median download speeds average over 200 Mbps in 2025.

Comparatively, Ookla found Viasat’s median download speed in the U.S. was 41.52 Mbps. HughesNet’s fastest median download speeds at 46.31 Mbps.

Mike Dano, a lead industry analyst for Ookla, penned the report. He told Via Satellite that Ookla globally sampled individual satellite internet users who used its online network speed testing service over 2025’s third quarter, and that sample sizes in individual countries were all statistically relevant. He said SpaceX’s ability to launch satellites at scale, with 10,790 in orbit, differentiates Starlink from its competitors.

“There’s really no other rocket company that has gotten to the point where SpaceX is, so that is certainly unique,” Dano said.

The report notes that Viasat and HughesNet have reported consumer broadband subscriber declines in recent years. The companies are putting more focus on wholesale customers like governments, airlines, and maritime companies. But Starlink competes for those clients as well.

Regional GEO operators like Kacific, YahClick, and Orbith registered activity in Asia, Oceania and the Middle East. These regional operators showed similar speeds and latency measurements to other GEO satellite operators HughesNet and Viasat.

Dano said he was surprised by Starlink’s global dominance.

“I looked for a lot of the smaller and regional providers for satellite internet,” Dano said. “But Starlink really is the dominant player here from a global perspective.”

More Competition on the Horizon

But whether Starlink can maintain its lead over the consumer connectivity market, Dano said, remains to be seen. Expanded rocket launch capability will increase competition, he said.

“I think the importance of satellite internet is definitely growing and the demand is growing,” Dano said. “I think as a result, you will see the number of suppliers also grow, both for satellite internet and for rocket launch capability.”

Demand for sovereign satellite internet services is also growing, he said.

“I think that an increasing number of countries are going to look for their own domestic suppliers for that kind of thing, in terms of national security,” he said.