Starlink upload speeds jump 42% as most new users leave DSL, cable and fixed wireless, Ookla finds

TL;DR: A new Ookla report says Starlink's U.S. median upload speed rose 42% in a year, from 14.63 Mbps in the first half of 2025 to 20.73 Mbps in the first half of 2026, and improved in every state and D.C. Ookla also found that about nine in 10 new U.S. Starlink users switched from a non-fiber connection such as DSL, cable or fixed wireless, and that urban Starlink users grew more than twice as fast as rural ones.

What Ookla measured

Ookla, the company behind Speedtest, published the analysis on November 11, 2026. It compares Starlink Speedtest results in the first half of 2025 with the first half of 2026, plus switching data from Q4 2025 through Q3 2026. Ookla notes that its sample counts track testing activity, not subscribers, so treat the growth figures as a direction rather than a headcount.

The numbers

• Upload: the U.S. median rose 42% to 20.73 Mbps, with state gains from 25% to 70%. Illinois and New Jersey posted the biggest jumps.
• Download: the national median rose 12% to 119.71 Mbps, but it fell in 16 states and D.C. Ookla says Starlink's new 100 Mbps capped plan may explain part of that.
• Latency: improved in 49 states and D.C. Illinois was flat at 37 ms, and Alaska dropped from 105 ms to 84 ms.
• Broadband benchmark: 40% of U.S. Starlink Speedtest users reached the FCC's 100/20 Mbps standard in the first half of 2026, up from 18.9% a year earlier.
• Urban growth: Starlink Speedtest users testing in urban areas grew 73% year over year, against 33% in rural areas. Six states, including Florida, New Jersey and Massachusetts, now have more urban than rural Starlink testers.

Where the new customers come from

Ookla looked at each new subscriber's previous provider and found roughly nine in 10 came from DSL, fixed wireless or cable rather than fiber. It credits regional promotions and two capped plans, Residential Lite and Residential 100 Mbps, for much of the first-half growth. Starlink's median download speed still trails the three big U.S. 5G fixed wireless providers and all fiber providers, Ookla says.

Why it matters

Ookla links the upload gains to SpaceX's V2 Mini satellites, lower orbits and more ground stations. Its open question is whether capacity keeps pace with demand in busy states like Texas, Florida and Washington, where download speeds rank near the bottom. Ookla says the bigger boost depends on the V3 satellites that need Starship, which is targeting its next flight on November 13. We'll update this if @Starlink responds to the report.