Elon Musk Celebrates Starlink's 9 Million Users: 'Rebuilding The Whole Internet In Space Is Not Easy'

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hailed the company's satellite internet service provider, Starlink, which recently announced it had reached 9 million worldwide customers.Not Easy To Rebuild The Internet, Says Elon MuskOn Monday, Starlink's official handle on X announced it had crossed the 9 million customers worldwide threshold "across 155 countries, territories and many other markets." Musk hailed the milestone in a post on the social media platform. "Rebuilding the whole Internet in space is not easy," the SpaceX and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO said.Great work by the @Starlink team. Rebuilding the whole Internet in space is not easy. https://t.co/B7LrhPIgr4— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2025Starlink's Rare Failure, Cell Carrier FutureOne of Starlink's satellites experienced a rare failure recently. The satellite was operating at approximately 260 miles above Earth when the incident occurred, causing it to lose communications and generate a small amount of debris in orbit. According to Starlink, the satellite will reenter Earth within weeks.Meanwhile, SpaceX recently filed for the "STARLINK MOBILE" trademark with the USPTO, hinting at a possible cell carrier future for the service. The filing describes “two-way real-time transmission” of voice, audio, video, and data by "wireless telecommunications devices.”SpaceX also has deals in place with cell carriers, like T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS), to offer direct-to-cell technology to the carrier's subscribers, as well as a deal with Ukrainian Telecom giant Kyivstar Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:KYIV).Starlink In Tesla Vehicles?Recently, Tesla filed a patent called “Vehicle Roof Assembly with Radio Frequency Transparent Material,” describing a vehicle roof that features radio frequency (RF) transparent polymers. The patent could help integrate antennae directly into a vehicle's roof, facilitating direct communication with satellites and other connected tech.Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.Read Next:World’s Richest Man Elon Musk Says ‘Money Won’t Matter’ When Kids Turn 18 Amid Trump Accounts Buzz: ‘AI/Robotics Will Eliminate Scarcity’