SpaceX Q3: Starlink reaches 13.6 million subscribers as AI revenue overtakes connectivity

SpaceX reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $14.6 billion, up 161% year on year. Its AI segment, now called Super Intelligence, brought in $7.6 billion and passed the Connectivity segment, which is mostly Starlink.

Connectivity revenue was about $5.2 billion, up 69% year on year and 22% on the previous quarter. Growth was slower than in Q2, when revenue rose 32% sequentially. Starlink added 1.6 million consumer subscribers to reach 13.6 million. Average revenue per user was $69 a month, and Connectivity operating income was about $2.4 billion.

Starlink is contracted for roughly 12,000 aircraft, and Starlink Mobile has more than 22 million monthly users. SpaceX projects Q1 2027 revenue of $33 billion to $37 billion and wants Starship to fly weekly in the first half of 2027.

Why it matters: Starlink's scale shapes the satellite connectivity that field survey, drone and Earth observation teams rely on for data backhaul, including in remote areas. African mobile operators and ground-equipment suppliers are likely to feel the effects, though the results give no regional detail.