Amid reports that Starlink device was being used in ethnic violence-hit Manipur state, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the satellite beams were turned off over India, sharing his first reaction since the reports of device seizures.
Musk said Starlink satellite internet is inactive in India, responding to Indian authorities’ seizure of two of the company’s devices in recent weeks, one in the armed conflict zone of Manipur and another in a drug smuggling bust.
Starlink is seeking approval in India to provide satellite broadband services and the Musk-owned company is trying to address any potential security concerns as part of the process.
Musk wrote on X late on Tuesday that “Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India” and were “never on in the first place.”
He was responding to a post from the Indian Army about a search operation on Dec. 13 in Manipur state in India’s northeast, where a communal conflict has raged since early last year.
The post included photos of seized weapons and a satellite dish and receiver with a Starlink logo.
Two military officers familiar with the search operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the device with the Starlink logo was being used by a militant group.
They said the device was likely smuggled through the porous border with neighbouring civil war-torn Myanmar, where use of Starlink devices by rebel groups has been documented in media reports although the company does not operate in Myanmar either.
Earlier this month, Indian police sent a legal demand to Starlink seeking purchase details of a device found when they caught smugglers at sea with $4.2 billion worth of methamphetamine, one of the biggest such Indian seizures.
The police suspect the smugglers were using the internet device to navigate.
Earlier reports in moneycontrol.com said Starlink’s application for an India license is advancing after the satellite broadband provider agreed to meet India’s data localization and security requirements.
The move comes as Musk, who supported former US President Donald Trump in the recent election, could hold a significant influence within the next administration.
This potential influence is expected to bolster Starlink’s leverage in pursuing its satellite internet operations in India, sources told Moneycontrol.
In meetings with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Starlink gave a preliminary commitment to adhere to India’s data security protocols, a critical step in securing a General Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite Services (GMPCS) license for satellite broadband operations, as per reports.
A GMPCS license is essential for companies looking to set up satellite internet services, allowing them to acquire a trial spectrum at a minimal application cost.
According to security rules, satellite communication firms must store data domestically in India as a prerequisite for the license, with requirements for accessibility by intelligence agencies if needed.
A heated competition is emerging between Indian telecom providers—Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea—and global satellite companies like Starlink and Amazon.
The debate centres around the allocation and pricing of satellite spectrum, essential for space-based broadband services.
(With inputs from Reuters and IBNS)
