D.C. Memo: Starlink Rockets Past 8 Million Global Customers
Elon Musk’s Global Satellite Internet Access Service Tacked on 1 Million New Customers over the Past 69 Days.
▪️BREAKING: Altice USA to Become Optimum Communications▪️Indy Star Scrutinizes Nexstar-TEGNA Deal▪️GCI Liberty Drops 1,400 Broadband Subs, Takes $525 Million Impairment Charge on Cable TV Exit▪️Ford to Ontario: Not Sorry for Killing Starlink Pact▪️VERSANT Investor Day: Dec. 4▪️Is ChatGPT Behind the Bad Errors in Tech Articles?▪️Trump: Kill the Filibuster; Thune, Not Happening▪️RIP: Cable TV Pioneer Albert Martin Carollo, Jr.▪️People: IR Head Shane Kleinstein Leaving GCI Liberty
BREAKING: Altice USA said Thursday morning it will change its corporate name to Optimum Communications Inc., effective Nov. 7, 2025, and will switch its New York Stock Exchange ticker from “ATUS” to “OPTU” on Nov. 19, 2025. The company said the move was part of its ongoing transformation and aligns its corporate identity with Optimum, the brand used by millions of its customers. “This is more than a name change — it’s a reflection of who we are and where we are going,” Optimum CEO Dennis Mathew said in a statement. Meanwhile, in third quarter results, Altice reported a loss of 58,000 broadband subs, compared to a loss of 50,000 in the same quarter in 2024. The regional ISP ended with 4.2 million broadband customers.
Starlink: Elon Musk’s global influence continues to surge as Starlink, his low Earth orbit satellite Internet service, now connects more than 8 million people globally. That’s up from 7 million or 14% since Aug. 28, 2025, just 69 days ago. According to an announcement on Musk’s X platform Wednesday evening, the company gushed, “Starlink is connecting more than 8M active customers with high-speed Internet across more than 150 countries, territories, and many other markets. Thank you to all our customers around the world!” Since launching its first satellites in 2019, Starlink has grown rapidly, with 8,861 satellites now deployed, according to Jonathan’s Space Report. (More after paywall.)
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