March 7th saw SpaceX launch 25 satellites from its Vandenberg Space Force complex. There’s another 25 due to launch on March 10th also from Vandenberg, and a further 29 craft from Cape Canaveral on March 12th.

These totals will take the overall total of satellites launched by SpaceX to 11,493, of which some 10,015 either are or will be in orbit (excluding test satellites).

SpaceX now has two thrusts as it counts down the days to a probable Initial Public Offering (IPO): The first is to maintain deployment of satellites for its everyday Starlink broadband-by-satellite system which claims more than 10 million customers (and probably nearer 11 million) according to industry observers. While Starlink is primarily serving rural, remote, and underserved areas, along with maritime, aviation, and business clients, it is also now trimming equipment deposits and annual fees in some markets in its 150+ available countries. Starlink is proving to now be a ‘cash cow’ in terms of SpaceX revenues.

But the second thrust is to build as rapidly as possible its customer base, and in the process close out – or minimise – the threat to its market lead from two heavyweight rivals in the form of AST SpaceMobile and ‘new kid on the block’ Amazon LEO.

Those two rivals are just the tip of an approaching number. There’s Telesat’s Lightspeed, which although concentrating on non-consumer take-up (business, government, and mobility/airline users) it, will prove a powerful rival for loyal Canadians who don’t much care for SpaceX’s market domination. Service is expected to start towards the end of 2027.

There are many other would-be challengers for Starlink’s crown, with the Mid-East’s Space42 (part-backed by Viasat), and Russian and Chinese alternate broadband services. Paris-based Eutelsat’s and its OneWeb system is also looking for business/commercial clients, as well as airline and maritime customers, and is winning its share of the market.

With a SpaceX IPO on the near horizon the market will then be able to surgically examine Elon Musk’s business divisions and be able to better understand the full width of its Starlink division, not least ARPU, churn, Subscriber Acquisition Costs and every other aspect of a subscriber-driven business.

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4. Inmarsat “likely to win appeal” over Ligado/AST action
5. FCC seeks fair play over foreign satellite access
6. Bank raises RocketLab target price
7. Paramount throws kitchen sink
8. Ukraine wants its own LEO system
9. SpaceX outlines Starlink cellular delivery plan

Categories: Articles, Broadband, Satellite

Tags: IPO, spacex, starlink