According to internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare, Starlink usage exploded this year, with its internet traffic surging more than threefold.
Global traffic from SpaceX’s satellite internet service “grew 3.3x in 2024,” the company said in its annual report on internet trends. It “continues to be the leading satellite internet service provider, bringing connectivity to unserved or underserved areas.”
Starlink traffic growth worldwide in 2024 (Credit: Cloudflare)
Global traffic has grown at a “steady, consistent” rate throughout the year. In certain countries, the traffic has also skyrocketed, likely due to “pent-up” demand for an alternative to ground-based internet services, which often struggle to reach rural and remote areas.
“For example, the Starlink service became available in Malawi in July 2023, and throughout 2024, the Starlink traffic from the country grew 38x,” Cloudflare notes. Georgia also saw its Starlink traffic grow “over 100x,” while Paraguay experienced an “over 900x” surge throughout the year.
Cloudflare also attributed the growth to Starlink’s expansion into new coverage areas, from naval ships to commercial planes. SpaceX has also been selling a new portable Starlink Mini dish, offering deep discounts in markets outside the US.
The 3.3x increase outpaces Starlink’s traffic growth for 2023, which nearly tripled from the previous year, according to Cloudflare’s stats. Last month, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said Starlink is close to reaching 5 million global users, up from over 2 million when the company first reported crossing the threshold in September 2023.
