Teacher
Professional
- Messages
- 2,670
- Reaction score
- 775
- Points
- 113
From Yemen to Venezuela, where else does SpaceX's illegal network operate?
SpaceX's Starlink satellite Internet service, which promises high-speed connectivity "almost anywhere on Earth," has been at the center of international controversy over its illegal distribution and use in countries where the company does not have formal work agreements. An investigation by Bloomberg News revealed that Starlink kits are actively traded and activated illegally, indicating a systemic global problem and raising questions about the company's control over the system with clear national security aspects.
Starlink, which is based on a network of about 5,500 satellites, already has 2.6 million users and is considered a potentially large source of revenue for SpaceX. To legally provide satellite Internet access, SpaceX must enter into agreements with the governments of the respective States. However, where there are no agreements, people use Starlink outside of official coverage areas.
A journalistic investigation by Bloomberg revealed numerous facts of illegal use of Starlink terminals in a number of" hot " spots on the planet. As examples, the publication cites Yemen and Sudan, where for many years there have been fierce civil wars. In both countries, there are frequent Internet outages, so the military resorts to the help of Starlink systems. In Sudan, according to Western diplomats, Starlink terminals are actively used by soldiers of the Rapid Reaction Forces. The kits are smuggled into the country through a whole underground network.
In South Sudan and the Central African Republic, gold miners are actively using Starlink services,according to Bloomberg. They got access to the equipment even before the start of the civil war in Sudan through merchants in the Sudanese city of Nyala. "Since the war in Darfur started, many people have been bringing Starlink devices and using them for business. People pay between $2 and $3 an hour, so it's a very good business," one such merchant named Haroon Mohamed told the agency.
For Yemen, terminals are purchased in countries such as Singapore or Malaysia, and then activated in roaming.
On the African continent, official access to Starlink satellite Internet is currently open only in eight countries. But these services are also advertised in other countries, including in social networks like Facebook. In Zimbabwe, according to Bloomberg, the black market has inflated prices for Starlink terminals to $700-2000. A similar situation is observed in Venezuela - on the Starlink website, this country is listed as closed for service, but package offers for the company's equipment are actively distributed in social networks.
SpaceX itself did not respond to requests from the publication's journalists regarding the availability of terminals in the shadow sector. However, as noted in the publication, the company promises some countries that it will work with them to ensure that its services do not fall into certain areas.
SpaceX's Starlink satellite Internet service, which promises high-speed connectivity "almost anywhere on Earth," has been at the center of international controversy over its illegal distribution and use in countries where the company does not have formal work agreements. An investigation by Bloomberg News revealed that Starlink kits are actively traded and activated illegally, indicating a systemic global problem and raising questions about the company's control over the system with clear national security aspects.
Starlink, which is based on a network of about 5,500 satellites, already has 2.6 million users and is considered a potentially large source of revenue for SpaceX. To legally provide satellite Internet access, SpaceX must enter into agreements with the governments of the respective States. However, where there are no agreements, people use Starlink outside of official coverage areas.
A journalistic investigation by Bloomberg revealed numerous facts of illegal use of Starlink terminals in a number of" hot " spots on the planet. As examples, the publication cites Yemen and Sudan, where for many years there have been fierce civil wars. In both countries, there are frequent Internet outages, so the military resorts to the help of Starlink systems. In Sudan, according to Western diplomats, Starlink terminals are actively used by soldiers of the Rapid Reaction Forces. The kits are smuggled into the country through a whole underground network.
In South Sudan and the Central African Republic, gold miners are actively using Starlink services,according to Bloomberg. They got access to the equipment even before the start of the civil war in Sudan through merchants in the Sudanese city of Nyala. "Since the war in Darfur started, many people have been bringing Starlink devices and using them for business. People pay between $2 and $3 an hour, so it's a very good business," one such merchant named Haroon Mohamed told the agency.
For Yemen, terminals are purchased in countries such as Singapore or Malaysia, and then activated in roaming.
On the African continent, official access to Starlink satellite Internet is currently open only in eight countries. But these services are also advertised in other countries, including in social networks like Facebook. In Zimbabwe, according to Bloomberg, the black market has inflated prices for Starlink terminals to $700-2000. A similar situation is observed in Venezuela - on the Starlink website, this country is listed as closed for service, but package offers for the company's equipment are actively distributed in social networks.
SpaceX itself did not respond to requests from the publication's journalists regarding the availability of terminals in the shadow sector. However, as noted in the publication, the company promises some countries that it will work with them to ensure that its services do not fall into certain areas.
