Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, has fully restored operations following a widespread outage that affected users across multiple continents on Tuesday. The service disruption, which lasted approximately two and a half hours, was confirmed by the company in an update on its official X account.
According to Starlink, the outage was caused by a failure of “key internal software services that operate the core network.” The company apologised for the disruption and assured users that it is working to identify the root cause to prevent a recurrence.
“The outage was due to failure of key internal software services that operate the core network,” said Michael Nicolls, vice president of Starlink engineering. “We apologise for the temporary disruption in our service; we are deeply committed to providing a highly reliable network, and will fully root cause this issue and ensure it does not occur again.”
Global network monitor NetBlocks reported that worldwide connectivity fell to 16% during the outage. Downdetector, a crowdsourced outage tracker, logged more than 200,000 reports globally, with disruptions beginning around 9 p.m. SAST in the U.S. and Europe.
Starlink, which currently operates in over 140 countries and territories, including 24 African nations, has gained popularity in regions with limited traditional broadband infrastructure. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the service has outperformed local internet providers in download speed, reaching rates of 75 megabits per second (Mbps) or higher earlier this year. Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, and Ghana were among the countries with the fastest median speeds.
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Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, also apologised on X for the disruption and reiterated the company’s commitment to service reliability. Starlink, in its update, said: “The network issue has been resolved, and Starlink service has been restored. We understand how important connectivity is and apologise for the disruption.”
The outage, while brief, highlighted the growing reliance on satellite internet as a critical service in both developed and underserved regions.
