Starlink device recovered in joint operation
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 17 2024: Security forces reportedly recovered a Starlink satellite internet device manufactured by Elon Musk's SpaceX during a joint operation conducted recently.

The device, which includes a receiver and router, has raised serious concerns about its potential use by militant groups to bypass conventional internet restrictions, according to a report published by The Print.

Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk's aerospace company SpaceX, is the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet anywhere in the world where the service is licenced to operate.

Starlink is not available in India, though the American company has applied for regulatory clearance.

Elon Musk in a post on X said Starlink doesn't operate in India.

"This is false.

Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India," he said.

"The beams were never on in the first place," he added in a response to another post.

The Print report cited a post of Spear Corps on X, which stated that recovery was made on December 13 during search operations conducted in the hill and valley districts of Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East, and Kangpokpi in coordination with the Manipur Police.

Alongside the Starlink device, several weapons and ammunition were also seized, including 29 firearms such as sniper rifles, automatic weapons, pistols, grenades, and country-made mortars.

The Starlink device, now in the custody of Manipur Police, has caught the attention of security agencies.

Designed to provide internet connectivity through a constellation of satellites, the device circumvents traditional telecom infrastructure, making it a potential tool for groups operating in areas with restricted or no internet access.

The report cited sources suggesting that the device may have been smuggled from Myanmar, where it is reportedly used by various groups.

This marks the second instance in less than a month of such a recovery by Indian security forces, with the Andaman and Nicobar Police seizing a similar Starlink device from a Myanmarese boat in late November during an anti-narcotics operation.

Starlink, which is yet to receive a satellite broadband license in India, has geo-tagging features designed to prevent unauthorised use within the country.

However, the recent seizure has highlighted security lapses that are now under investigation's.While Starlink has been attempting to secure the necessary clearances to operate in India, the government has emphasised stringent conditions, including administrative allocation of satellite spectrum, rejecting a first-come, first-serve model.

This seizure adds to the ongoing debate surrounding satellite broadband in India, with Musk's SpaceX pushing for market entry amid opposition from Indian telecom giants like Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal, who favour an auction-based approach to spectrum allocation, the report added.

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