Virginia based internet service provider Shentel says it has been losing customers to SpaceX's @Starlink. Shentel CEO Ed McKay said that broadband churn was -1.46% (-3,000 customers) in Q1 2026, which he attributed to promotional activity from SpaceX – a $15 monthly discount and free dish. He said in those areas Shentel increased speeds at no cost to try and compete.

Halter announced today the launch of direct-to-satellite connectivity using SpaceX's @Starlink for its smart cattle collars, a world-first that removes the need for cell towers or on-ranch infrastructure. "Using Starlink enables ranchers to manage cattle anywhere they can see the sky. Combined with a suite of new tools for reproduction, animal behavior, and precision pasture management, the release significantly expands what is possible for cattle ranch management. Beef ranchers in remote and rugged regions that were limited by connectivity can now turn to virtual fencing to run more productive and sustainable operations - at a time when they face rising fuel costs, labor shortages, and an aging workforce pressures." Halter’s internal modeling estimates direct-to-satellite capability expands coverage of the U.S beef cattle market by 2.5x. Until now, Halter’s solar-powered, GPS-enabled collars relied on Halter’s proprietary long-range radio towers. With direct-to-satellite, the collars can communicate via Starlink, eliminating ground infrastructure entirely.