Starlink suffers rare global outage, undermining its reliability claims

On July 24, 2025, Starlink suffered a rare but significant global outage due to an internal software failure. The disruption, which lasted two and a half hours, knocked tens of thousands of users offline, particularly across Europe and the United States. It was described as the company’s “longest and most sweeping outage” yet, highlighting a hard truth that Starlink is just as fallible as MTN, Airtel, or any other provider.

Elon Musk and Starlink VP Michael Nicolls both issued public apologies after the downtime, which began around 3 p.m. EDT / 9 p.m. SAST. According to reports from DownDetector, over 60,000 users were affected as Starlink’s core network services failed. The company has since promised to investigate and prevent future recurrences.

This glitch comes at an awkward time for a company that’s increasingly being seen as the most dependable network provider globally. With over 6–7 million users in 140 countries, Starlink’s services are now critical to military operations, government institutions, and high-security communications. That level of dependency makes one wonder if we truly achieved 24/7 reliable internet, or are we simply centralizing vulnerability in a single vendor?

In May 2025, Starlink signed a major partnership with Airtel Africa, gaining licenses in 9 out of 14 countries where Airtel operates. The plan is to bring satellite-powered connectivity to schools, health centers, businesses, and underserved communities through fibre backhaul support. A similar agreement is in progress in India, through Bharti Airtel, though it’s still pending spectrum allocation and regulatory approval.

What makes this outage particularly frustrating for Nigerian users is its timing. Just recently, Starlink resumed direct shipments to Lagos, ending an eight-month pause that had left many reliant on pricey third-party resellers. The return was celebrated, especially by remote workers, students, and entrepreneurs fed up with local networks. Starlink was being hailed as a reliable alternative to terrestrial providers in Nigeria. But this latest incident is a reminder that no network—whether satellite or fibre—is untouchable.

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Commenting on the disruption, Doug Madory, an expert at internet analysis firm Kentik, said:

“This is likely the longest outage ever for Starlink, at least since it became a major service provider.”

So, as Starlink pushes ahead with aggressive regional expansion through Airtel and others, this global blackout sends a clear message: even space-based internet has limits.