Story so far: Billionaire Elon Musk has denied claims that his space company SpaceX’s satellite internet technology Starlink is being used by terrorists in Manipur. It comes after the Indian army and police seized the weapon and appears to be a Starlink-branded satellite router and antenna. Starlink is yet to receive regulatory approval in India, though it is slated to launch in neighboring Bangladesh and Bhutan in 2025.
However, the discovery of Starlink devices in Manipur raises questions about whether terrorists and other non-state actors can bypass geographic restrictions on Starlink technology.
What is Starlink and how does it work?
Starlink uses an extensive low-Earth orbiting satellite constellation to deliver high-speed and low-latency broadband Internet. This means that instead of limiting users to essential or emergency tasks, they can stream content, play online games, make video calls or perform other high data rate activities, according to the company. It’s a popular choice for users around the world in remote areas, seaports, disaster-stricken areas, or places where repressive regimes throttle access to more mainstream Internet services.
The Starlink system consists of thousands of satellites, and they orbit the Earth at about 550 km. Although they cover the entire world, according to SpaceX, the company is not authorized to provide its services to users in certain regions.
“Additionally, if a ship enters the waters of a country that prohibits Starlink from operating within it, our satellites will be unable to effectively communicate with it,” Starlink said on its website.
What is the controversy surrounding Starlink?
The Indian Army’s Spear Corps shared a photo on X on December 16 of guns, ammunition and country-made mortars seized by Indian Army and police units in Elon Musk-owned Manipur.
X users saw a small satellite device and router, with the SpaceX logo on it. In response to an X user claiming Musk’s technology was being used by terrorists, the billionaire replied, “That’s false. Starlink satellite beams are off in India.” The Starlink device also had “RPF/PLA” written on it, referring to the Myanmar-based Meitei extremist group banned in India. Per Starlink’s website and coverage map, the service date for Myanmar is unknown.
However, this is not the first time that SpaceX has run into controversy in India. Last month, smugglers from Myanmar were arrested by Andaman and Nicobar Islands police along with 6,000 kg of meth and a Starlink device allegedly used for navigation and communication, despite the service being prohibited in Indian waters.
Moreover, in August this year, Starlink devices were seen being sold on B2B platform IndiaMART.
Can Starlink Satellite Internet be controlled or blocked?
International boundaries are not rigid and it is not easy to modify satellite Internet coverage to such a precise degree that service is turned on or off that corresponds to a nation’s borders. A further complication is that many international borders are disputed or unclear, while satellites moving over them are constantly transmitting encrypted signals. This encryption prevents satellites from being hacked by terrorists or other malicious actors seeking to disrupt service.
The key question is whether terrorists in Manipur can effectively use Starlink satellite internet inside India.
“If these (Starlink) boxes are purchased from outside India, by any means, they can be used because that box is authorized. The only thing is, do they have location facility? In that case, yes, if you have (Starlink) in the USA ) if you buy a terminal and bring it to India, it may not work because of the geo-location. But the terminal has a geo-locator,” Arup Dasgupta, a former engineer at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), theorized.
Starlink supports VPN using TCP or UDP per company website, however this may affect app performance. So, can users buy foreign Starlink terminals and then use VPN services to access satellite internet in India?
“It depends on the internals of the Starlink hardware,” Dasgupta explained.
To help visualize how Starlink prevents users in restricted areas from accessing its satellite Internet, Dasgupta used the analogy of a set-top box that prevents TV viewers from accessing certain channels while others with access can watch these channels.
In February of this year Musk also strongly denied news reports claiming that Starlink equipment was being sold to Russia, and later explained to X that Starlink satellites would not close the link to Russia.
However, this did not allay concerns that Starlink was being used by Russian forces in occupied territories of Ukraine.
Regarding the confiscated Starlink devices, Dasgupta said that by tracking the unique identification code of the Starlink terminal, it may be possible to find the buyer. However, this can also prove difficult as dummy organizations or shadow companies obscure the trail of potential illegal buyers.
In essence, more information is needed from SpaceX and Musk on how the company will ensure that Starlink satellite internet does not yet reach countries that allow Starlink, while enabling service for neighboring countries or waters that allow Starlink service.
Hindu In India one was able to download the Starlink app from the Google Play Store and go through the set-up process up to the point where a plug-in Starlink device was required. The app may collect users’ approximate and exact locations for functionality reasons but those are optional, depending on the app’s profile. This is in contrast to banned apps like TikTok, which are not available on the App Store.
How are terrorists using Starlink in Manipur?
This is not yet known, as more information is needed from both Musk’s SpaceX and Indian authorities. Musk has said that satellite beams were never intended for India in the first place, but there are questions about the cross-border use of Starlink equipment on land, sea and air. It is also not confirmed whether the satellite equipment seized in Manipur was actually operational or not.
This year Starlink said that if it learns of its terminals being used by authorized or unauthorized parties, it can take action to disable the terminal after an investigation.
What does Indian law say about Starlink use?
India also strictly regulates and restricts the use of satellite-based communication equipment by Indian citizens and civilians in conflict-free zones. Everyday gadget users within the country have noticed that key satellite-based emergency features on premium phones that are readily available to overseas users are not enabled for use in India.
Under Section 6 of the Indian Wireless Act and Section 20 of the Indian Telegraph Act, the use of Thuraya/Iridium satellite phones is illegal in the country. Indian embassies around the world warn travelers, both Indian and foreign, that they cannot take satellite phones into the country and that they may face confiscation of the devices and legal action if they do so without official permission.
These restrictions are largely imposed to combat terrorism and extremism. In 2022, Indian officials said evidence of Iridium satellite phone use had been found in the Kashmir Valley.
Starlink is currently looking to enter the Indian market, but faces competition from billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance. The latest discovery of Starlink hardware in Manipur could further impact SpaceX’s entry, because of doubts about its compliance with Indian regulations and possible abuse by non-state actors.
published – Dec 21, 2024 at 08:55 pm IST