Satellite Internet: Starlink’s Rivals Scale Up Constellations

The race to build global satellite internet networks is entering a new phase. On April 27, 2026, United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched 29 satellites into orbit for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, marking the first full-scale deployment of the constellation and a major milestone for one of the most ambitious challengers to SpaceX’s Starlink. While other major projects have also recently been launched, this development signals that competition in low-Earth orbit (LEO) broadband is intensifying rapidly.

As our chart shows, Starlink remains by far the dominant player at the moment. Operated by SpaceX, the constellation had already deployed more than 10,300 satellites as of April 2026, with regulatory approval for around 15,000 and plans to deploy up to 42,000. The network is already providing broadband services in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide and continues to expand. Its U.S. rival, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, is now moving from testing to deployment. With 239 satellites already launched and a planned constellation of 3,236 satellites, the company aims to leverage its cloud infrastructure (AWS) and partnerships with launch providers such as ULA to compete in the global broadband market.

China is emerging as the main challenger in this sector, with multiple large-scale constellations underway. The state-backed Qianfan project, led by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST), has already deployed more than 100 satellites and aims to reach around 15,000 in the long term. At the same time, the Xingwang constellation, overseen by the China Satellite Network Group (CSNC), is scaling up, with nearly 200 satellites in orbit as of April 2026 and plans for about 13,000 in total. Together, these initiatives highlight Beijing’s strategic push to build a sovereign satellite internet infrastructure.

In Europe, Eutelsat’s OneWeb constellation is currently the only operational alternative of scale. With around 650 satellites, OneWeb focuses on enterprise, government and mobility services rather than mass consumer broadband, positioning itself differently from Starlink in the satellite internet market. At the same time, the European Union is preparing its own sovereign constellation, IRIS², which is expected to begin deployment around 2027 and gradually roll out services before 2030. The project, planned to comprise around 300 satellites, reflects Europe’s ambition to strengthen its strategic autonomy in space-based communications.

While these mega-constellations promise to expand global internet access, they also raise growing concerns. The rapid increase in satellites in low Earth orbit heightens the risk of collisions and space debris, while astronomers warn that light pollution caused by satellites is affecting astronomical observations. As more actors enter the race, managing orbital traffic and ensuring the sustainable use of space are becoming increasingly critical challenges.