The story so far: Billionaire Elon Musk has denied claims that his space company SpaceX’s satellite internet technology Starlink is being used by militants in Manipur. This came after the Indian Army and police seized weapons and what looked like a Starlink-branded satellite router and antenna. Starlink is still pending regulatory approval in India, though it will be starting in neighbouring Bangladesh and Bhutan in 2025.

However, the discovery of the Starlink devices in Manipur raises questions about whether or not militants and other non-state actors can bypass geographic restrictions on the Starlink technology.

What is Starlink and how does it work?

Starlink uses an extensive low Earth orbit satellite constellation to deliver broadband internet that has high speeds and low latency. This means that rather than restricting users to essential or emergency functions, they can also stream content, play games online, make video calls, or carry out other high data rate activities, per the company. It is a popular choice for users worldwide in remote areas, sea vessels, disaster-struck regions, or places where oppressive regimes have throttled access to more mainstream internet services.

There are thousands of satellites in the Starlink system, and they orbit Earth at around 550 km. Though they cover the entire globe, per SpaceX, the company is not authorised to provide its services to users in some regions.

“Additionally, if a vessel strays into the waters of a country which prohibits Starlink from operating within it, our satellites will be unable to communicate with it effectively,” said Starlink on its website.

What is the controversy surrounding Starlink?

The Spear Corps of the Indian army on December 16 shared photos on Elon Musk-owned X of guns, ammunition, and country-made mortars that Indian army and police units had seized in Manipur.

X users spotted a small satellite device and router, with the latter bearing the SpaceX logo. In response to an X user who claimed that Musk’s technology was being used by terrorists, the billionaire replied, “This is false. Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India.” The Starlink device also had “RPF/PLA” written on it, which refers to a Myanmar-based Meitei extremist group that is banned in India. Per Starlink’s website and coverage map, the service date for Myanmar is unknown.

However, this is not the first time SpaceX has become embroiled in controversy in India. Last month, smugglers originating from Myanmar were caught by the Andaman and Nicobar islands police with over 6,000 kg of meth and a Starlink device that was allegedly used for navigation and communication, despite service being prohibited in Indian waters.

Furthermore, in August this year, Starlink equipment was seen being sold on the B2B platform IndiaMART.

Can Starlink satellite internet be controlled or intercepted?

International borders are not solid and it is not easy to refine satellite internet coverage to such a precise degree that service is activated or halted exactly in line with a nation’s border. An additional complication is that many international borders are contested or unclear, while satellites moving above them are continuously transmitting encrypted signals. This encryption stops satellites from being hacked by militants or other malicious actors trying to intercept the service.

The key question is whether militants in Manipur can effectively use Starlink satellite internet within India.

“If these [Starlink] boxes have been purchased from outside of India, by whatever means, they can be used because then, that box is authorised. The only thing is, do they have a position location feature? In that case, yes, if you buy a [Starlink] terminal in the U.S. and bring it to India, because of the geographical location change, it might not work. But that is provided the terminal has a built-in geographic location identifier,” theorised former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) engineer, Arup Dasgupta.

Starlink supports VPNs that use TCP or UDP, per the company website, though this can affect the app’s performance. So, can users buy foreign Starlink terminals and then use VPN services in order to access satellite internet in India?

“It depends on the internals of the Starlink hardware,” Dasgupta explained.

To help visualise how Starlink stops users in prohibited regions from accessing its satellite internet, Dasgupta used the analogy of a set-top box that does not let TV watchers access some channels while others who have access can watch these channels.

Musk in February this year also strongly trashed news reports claiming that Starlink devices were being sold to Russia, and later explained on X that Starlink satellites would not close the link in Russia.

However, this did not allay concerns of Starlink being used by the Russian military in occupied regions of Ukraine.

With regards to seized Starlink devices, Dasgupta pointed out that by tracking the unique identification code of the Starlink terminal, it might be possible to find the buyer. However, this too could prove difficult due to dummy organisations or shadow companies obfuscating the trail of likely illegal buyers.

In essence, more information is needed from SpaceX and Musk to understand how the company ensures that Starlink satellite internet does not reach the countries yet to allow Starlink, while enabling service for neighbouring countries or waters that do allow Starlink service.

The Hindu was also able to download the Starlink app from the Google Play Store in India and go through the set-up process up to the point a plugged-in Starlink device was needed. The app may collect users’ approximate and precise locations for functionality reasons but these are optional, per the app’s profile. This is in stark contrast to banned apps like TikTok, which are unavailable on the app store.

How are militants in Manipur using Starlink?

This is not yet known, as more information is needed both from Musk’s SpaceX as well as the Indian authorities. Musk has said that satellite beams for India were never on in the first place, but there are questions about the cross-border use of Starlink devices over land, sea, and air. It is also not yet confirmed whether the seized satellite equipment in Manipur was actually functional.

Starlink this year said that if it finds out about its terminals being used by sanctioned or unauthorised parties, it can take action to deactivate the terminal after an investigation.

What does Indian law say about Starlink usage?

India strictly regulates and restricts the use of satellite-based communication devices, even by Indian civilians and citizens in conflict-free zones. Everyday gadget users within the country would have noticed that even key satellite-based emergency features on premium phones that are easily available for users overseas 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 worldwide warn both Indian and foreign travellers that they cannot carry satellite phones into the country and may face confiscation of the devices and legal action if they do so without official permission.

These restrictions are in place largely to combat militancy and terrorism. In 2022, Indian officials reported that evidence of iridium satellite phone usage was discovered in the Kashmir Valley.

Starlink is currently trying to enter the Indian market, but finds itself in competition with billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance. The latest discovery of the Starlink hardware in Manipur could further affect SpaceX’s entry, due to doubts over its compliance with Indian regulations and possible misuse by non-state actors.