Starlink 'Gen 3' to Span 100K Satellites, for Gigabit Broadband But Also AI

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Starlink 'Gen 3' to Span 100K Satellites, for Gigabit Broadband But Also AI

Updated Jul 07, 2026

The Gen 3 Starlink system is designed to supply satellite internet capacity for both consumers and AI-powered devices, SpaceX tells the FCC. Expect 'ultra low-latency' and multi-gigabit speeds too.

Michael Kan<br>Principal Reporter

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It’s only been six months since Starlink received US regulatory approval for a gigabit speed upgrade, but SpaceX is already developing a next-generation Starlink constellation meant to be far larger, at 100,000 satellites, and offer even faster speeds.On Monday, the company filed an application with the FCC for the “Gen 3” constellation, dwarfing the current Starlink system, which consists of around 10,000 satellites. The Gen 3 constellation goes beyond gigabit speeds, with the goal of offering “ultra low-latency, multi-gigabit broadband service to orders of magnitude more users around the world,” SpaceX says. But it also stands out for seeking to supply high-speed satellite broadband not only to consumers, enterprises, and governments, but also to “billions of AI-powered devices around the world,” a document in the application says. "The Gen3 system will provide the communications backbone of the AI age," SpaceX writes.“AI requires massive uplink capacity to support high-definition spatial and auditory data necessary for real-time decision-making and industrial automation,” the application adds. “Without it, the United States cannot compete in the AI revolution.” "While downlink capacity will remain essential to deliver broadband to end users, the rapid rise of real-time communications and audiovisual data processing for AI-enabled devices—including industrial automation, precision agriculture, telemedicine, and personal robotics—will also require a significant expansion of end-user uplink capacity," the company adds. Hence, the Gen 3 system appears to be tied to SpaceX’s proposal to launch an orbiting data-center constellation that could span up to a staggering 1 million satellites. Those orbiting data centers would use optical lasers to connect with Starlink to route data to users below. Currently, the FCC is reviewing the proposal, which has drawn widespread opposition from concerned groups, including astronomers and environmentalists.(Credit: SpaceX)We also wonder if the Gen 3 Starlink constellation might involve SpaceX’s rumored smartphone-like device built to leverage AI, which the company has been secretly showing to investors. That said, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has called reports of the device’s development “utterly false.”Recommended by Our Editors

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In the meantime, SpaceX’s application says the Gen 3 system will meet AI capacity needs by harnessing a swath of radio spectrum for which Starlink has already received regulatory approval in the Ku-, Ka-, V-, and E-bands. However, SpaceX also wants to pioneer tapping into the “W- and D-band frequencies between 92 and 275 GHz” to drastically improve backhaul capacity.  (Credit: FCC/SpaceX)In addition, SpaceX wants to orbit the satellite as low as 323 kilometers from the Earth’s surface; its approval for the gigabit upgrades allows for orbits as low as 340km. The company explains: “By deploying these satellites at very low altitudes, the Gen3 system will achieve unprecedented satellite diversity—ensuring multiple satellites are always visible from any point on Earth.”(Credit: FCC/SpaceX)For now, SpaceX has regulatory authority to launch and operate up to 19,400 satellites across the second-gen and first-gen Starlink constellations, a clearance granted years earlier. Later this year, the company plans on launching the first V3 satellites with gigabit connectivity. However, it looks like 20,000 satellites isn’t enough; the company wants to operate even more, explaining, “with dozens of satellites visible from any location, the Gen3 system can dynamically route traffic, avoid interference, and maintain continuous high-quality service even as spectrum use intensifies globally.” Currently, Starlink has over 12 million active customers. SpaceX is urging the FCC to greenlight the Gen 3 constellation, saying it’ll ensure the US leads in “space, spectrum, robotics, and artificial intelligence for years to come by providing the...