SpaceX’s satellite internet provider Starlink is celebrating its fifth anniversary this week, marking five years since it connected its very first paying customer to high-speed, low-latency internet from space.
In a post on X, Starlink shared a short video spotlighting Wendy and Sean Layer — the service’s first customers, who live in a remote part of Sandpoint, Idaho. When SpaceX launched Starlink in 2020, the couple became the first people to experience what would go on to become the world’s leading satellite broadband network.
The video shows how Starlink has transformed their daily lives. For Wendy and Sean Layer, living in a remote area no longer means being disconnected from the world. “We can live very rural, and yet we are connected to anybody like in the city,” said Sean Layer. With Starlink, the couple can work from home, stream movies, video call family, play online games, and even look up recipes with ease.
Starlink reflected on its journey, saying that Wendy and Sean “are joined by over 7 million people across 150 countries, territories and markets staying connected with Starlink.” It’s a remarkable milestone for a service that began with a few beta users in 2020 and has now grown into a global internet provider.
Since its inception, the company has made massive progress in both reach and performance. Earlier this month, SpaceX launched its 10,000th Starlink satellite, with more than 8,500 currently active in low Earth orbit. Median peak-hour download speeds on Starlink’s network have improved by more than 50% in 2025 alone, with typical speeds now around 200 Mbps and maximum speeds exceeding 400 Mbps under certain conditions.
Starlink has also been expanding rapidly, recently introducing free dish “rental” programs in the U.S. and Canada to attract new users. With over 7 million customers worldwide and growing, the company shows no signs of slowing down as it continues working toward bringing fast, reliable satellite internet to every corner of the planet.
