Ookla: Starlink Now Faster in European Markets

May 26, 2026 – Satellite internet speeds across Europe jumped 45 percent in a single year, new data published Monday by internet measurement company Ookla shows. In 11 of the 27 countries measured, SpaceX’s Starlink outperformed the fixed line average on download speed; however, fixed networks had lower latency in every market and stronger upload performance in 26. Starlink recorded a median download speed of 165.71 Megabits per second (Mbps) across all 27 measured European countries in the first quarter of 2026, up from 114.05 Mbps in the same period a year earlier. Speeds rose in 26 of those 27 markets. The gains track Starlink’s rapid deployment pace. The company connected more than 4.6 million new active customers during 2025 and operated more than 9,000 active satellites by year-end. By early 2026, it had surpassed 10 million global subscribers, growing by 1 million in under 50 days at the close of 2025. Latvia led all 27 markets on a median download speed at 232.51 Mbps, followed by Greece at 196.31 Mbps and Croatia at 188.02 Mbps. Cyprus, Poland, and Latvia posted the largest year-on-year gains, rising by 159.53 Mbps, 134.31 Mbps, and 104.38 Mbps respectively. Usage was most visible where fixed broadband leaves more gap. Bulgaria recorded the highest Starlink Speedtest sample share at eight percent, followed by Greece and Croatia at six percent each, and Ireland and Latvia at four percent each. Ireland ranked fourth in Europe for Starlink adoption despite running one of the largest state rural broadband investments in the developed world - a national broadband plan covering more than 560,000 premises and 1.1 million people. Satellite take-up there likely reflects both areas still waiting for fiber and demand for a resilient backup after repeated fixed-line damage during recent winter storms. Not every market improved. Bulgaria was the only country where Starlink's median download speed fell year-on-year, dropping five percent to 61.06 Mbps, the weakest result in the cohort. Its combination of the highest adoption rate and the lowest speeds points to concentrated demand straining available satellite capacity. Fixed broadband still holds structural advantages that speed figures alone do not capture. Romania's low adoption despite a large rural population reflects dense fiber penetration led by DIGI, pushing its national median download speed to 283.06 Mbps. Spain tells a similar story, its national median of 277.98 Mbps outpaced Starlink by 110.24 Mbps, with its state-run Conectate35 program channeling satellite broadband specifically at rural premises lacking terrestrial coverage.