Starlink satellite network equipment has been seized in the conflict-torn state of Manipur, raising security concerns and a host of questions. Is Starlink operating in India without permission? Where does the equipment come from? Is Starlink owner Elon Musk’s explanation for Starlink’s seizure from militants good enough? India Today investigated.
On December 16, the Indian Army Spear Corps posted a photo on X showing Starlink kits among guns, bombs and ammunition seized during search operations in various areas of Manipur. Defense sources told India Today The network equipment was seized from members of the Manipur People’s Liberation Army, a Myanmar-based May Tai ethnic group that demands an independent state.
But this is not the first time Starlink has attracted attention from the Indian security community. Earlier this month, Andaman and Nicobar police seized a Starlink kit from a ship carrying a large consignment of methamphetamine from Myanmar and issued a notice to Starlink. Officials have asked buyers of the kit for their names, payment methods and registration details, Reuters reported.
However, the seizure of the device does not necessarily mean that Starlink Internet can be accessed in India.
Responding to the Manipur seizure, Musk said: “This is wrong. The Starlink satellite beam over India has been turned off.
According to official sources, Starlink is not available in India. In fact, it does not operate across the entire Indian subcontinent. The closest places to visit are Malaysia, Indonesia and Yemen.
But Starlink’s official stance on availability doesn’t always line up with reality. In Myanmar, for example, Starlink is widely used, especially in areas controlled by rebel groups. Thousands of Starlink antennas are up and running in Myanmar, but Starlink is not officially available in Myanmar either.
Starlink is also unavailable in Russia and much of the African continent, but that doesn’t mean the service isn’t available in those places. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly claimed that their drones have spotted Starlink terminals on the Russian side of the front line. March, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability A letter was written to SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, accusing Russia of illegal use of the service.
Earlier this year, two separate investigations by Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal found that Starlink terminals with roaming plans were being used in unauthorized areas.
Experts say Starlink’s widespread presence on the black market shows its misuse is a systemic global problem. It also raises questions about the company’s control over systems with significant security implications.
Starlink has yet to come clean about whether its services are available in unauthorized areas. However, this availability is due to “spillover,” the phenomenon in which the bandwidth used for a specific satellite communications area inadvertently exceeds its designated area.
However, bandwidth overflow from Malaysia, Indonesia or Mongolia (where the closest available bandwidth is) seems to be an oversimplified explanation.
According to the Washington Post, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission told United Nations regulators that Starlink can disable individual terminals and prevent areas from receiving signals, a practice known as “geofencing.”
The company can also identify the location of active antennas (more than 6,000 in number) based on satellite pings. It seems to have been done this way in the past. In August, it was reported that many Ukrainian troops discovered that their Starlink terminals were not working due to potential geofencing when entering Kursk, Russia.
cost
Starlink offers different plans and devices based on capacity, end use, and speed. In Malaysia, the base model, known as the “Standard Drive” package, is priced at close to MYR 1,700 or Rs 32,190, with a discounted price of Rs 32,190. It was initially priced at Rs 43,800.
For residential use, users have to pay an additional MYR 220 or Rs 4,190 per month. The “ROAM” plan for Malaysian users costs 700 Malaysian ringgit or 13,340 rupees per month and provides unlimited Internet access.
Some foreign websites offer standard Starlink terminals in India for about Rs 49,000.