Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service experienced a widespread global outage on Thursday evening, leaving tens of thousands of users without connectivity for approximately two and a half hours. The disruption, caused by internal software failures, marked one of the most significant outages in the network’s operational history and highlighted the growing dependence on satellite-based internet infrastructure.
The outage began around 9pm CET on Thursday, with more than 60,000 reports flooding Downdetector, a website that tracks service disruptions. Users across multiple continents found themselves abruptly disconnected from the internet, with many taking to alternative networks to voice their frustrations on social media platforms.
Software systems failure blamed Michael Nicolls, vice president of Starlink Engineering, explained that “the outage was due to failure of key internal software services that operate the core network”. The technical failure affected the fundamental systems that coordinate communication between Starlink’s constellation of over 6,000 satellites and ground-based infrastructure.
SpaceX posted an initial acknowledgement on X at 4:05 pm, stating: “Starlink is currently in a network outage and we are actively implementing a solution. We appreciate your patience, we’ll share an update once this issue is resolved.” The company’s response demonstrated the urgency with which they approached the unprecedented disruption.
Timing coincides with T-Mobile launch The outage occurred on the same day that Starlink launched its direct-to-device satellite service with T-Mobile in the United States, though officials have not indicated whether the two events were connected. The timing raised questions about potential strain on network resources during the service expansion.
Recovery and industry implications Service was mostly restored after approximately 2.5 hours, with CloudFlare confirming at 5:41 pm that the Starlink outage appeared to have been resolved. The relatively swift recovery demonstrated SpaceX’s technical capabilities, though the incident exposed vulnerabilities in centralised satellite internet systems.
The outage underscored the critical role that Starlink now plays in global communications, particularly in remote areas where traditional internet infrastructure is limited or non-existent. From rural communities to emergency services, millions have come to rely on the satellite constellation for essential connectivity.
Corporate response and future prevention Nicolls apologised for the disruption, stating the company was “deeply committed to providing a highly reliable network, and will fully root cause this issue and ensure it does not occur again”. The commitment to preventing similar failures reflects the growing responsibility that comes with operating critical digital infrastructure.
The incident serves as a reminder of the increasing concentration of internet services among a handful of major providers. As satellite internet becomes more prevalent, ensuring redundancy and reliability in these systems becomes paramount for maintaining global digital connectivity.
REFH – Newshub, 25 July 2025
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