Image: Starlink
HughesNet is preparing to steer its own subscribers toward rival Starlink as the company grapples with shrinking revenues, heavier competition, and an uncertain financial future. As reported by PCMag, the move was quietly disclosed in a new 10-Q SEC filing following HughestNet parent company EchoStar’s landmark agreement to sell its wireless spectrum portfolio to SpaceX for roughly $17 billion — a deal announced back in September.
“The commercial agreements will also provide for a fee-based referral program that lets us refer existing HughesNet customers and new Starlink customers to SpaceX,” HughesNet said in the filing, though EchoStar offered no further details.
The move underscores what EchoStar executives have been hinting at for months: HughesNet’s future is no longer in consumer satellite broadband. In an earnings call earlier this month, former EchoStar CEO Hamid Akhavan said the company was shifting its focus toward enterprise clients, adding, “Purely from the realization and understanding that the consumer connectivity to satellite is now highly competitive given SpaceX’s offerings and perhaps in the future other LEO [low-Earth orbit] offerings such as [Amazon’s] Kuiper.”
Amazon just rebranded Kuiper to Amazon Leo ahead of its planned commercial debut in early 2026, signaling another major competitor on the horizon.
HughesNet had hoped to reinvigorate its consumer business through new plans and the launch of its Jupiter 3 satellite, but subscribers continue to leave. The company reported 783,000 broadband users at the end of September, down from 912,000 a year prior.
More concerning is the company’s deteriorating financial situation. “We currently do not have the necessary cash on hand, projected future cash flows or committed financing to fund our obligations over the next twelve months, which raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern,” HughesNet wrote in its 10-Q disclosure. The company added that EchoStar “may not provide additional liquidity” even after the spectrum sale, which is pending regulatory approval.
Meanwhile, Starlink is accelerating. The satellite operator increased median peak-hour speeds across its entire network by more than 50% so far this year alone, following rapid deployment of new satellites and upgraded hardware. The company this week also launched its most affordable internet plan yet in the U.S., offering unlimited downloads at up to 100 Mbps for just $40 per month.
Starlink surpassed eight million users worldwide earlier this month and currently operates in over 150 countries. Referrals from HughesNet — once considered one of its primary competitors — could push that figure even higher.
