The seizure of Starlink’s satellite internet devices in conflict-torn Manipur has raised security concerns and many questions. Is Starlink operating in India without authorization? Where do the devices come from? Is Starlink owner Elon Musk’s explanation for activists’ seizure of Starlink good enough? India Today reviews.

On December 16, the Indian Army’s Spear Corps posted a photo on X showing a Starlink kit among weapons, bombs and ammunition seized during a search operation in several districts of Manipur. Defense sources told India Today that the internet devices were seized from members of the Manipur People’s Liberation Army, a Meitei ethnic group based in Myanmar that claims a separate nation.

But this is not the first time Starlink has raised eyebrows in Indian security circles. Earlier this month, the Andaman and Nicobar Police sent a notice to Starlink after a Starlink kit was seized from a boat carrying large quantities of methamphetamine from Myanmar. Authorities sought the kit buyer’s name, payment method and registration details, Reuters reported.

However, seizing the device does not necessarily mean that Starlink internet is accessible in India.

In response to the Manipur seizure, Musk said: “This is false. Starlink satellite beams are off over India.

Officially, Starlink is not available in India. In fact, it is not operational across the entire Indian subcontinent. The closest places where it is accessible are Malaysia, Indonesia and Yemen.

But Starlink’s official position regarding availability doesn’t always match reality. In Myanmar, for example, the use of Starlink is widespread, particularly in areas controlled by rebel groups. Thousands of Starlink dishes are operational in Myanmar, where Starlink is also officially not available.

Starlink is also not functional in Russia and most African countries, but that doesn’t mean the service isn’t used in those places. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly claimed that their drones spotted Starlink terminals on the Russian side of the front line. In March, the United States House of Representatives Oversight and Accountability Committee wrote to Starlink’s parent company, SpaceX, regarding Russia’s illegal use of the service.

Earlier this year, two separate investigations by Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal revealed that Starlink terminals with the roaming plan were being used in unauthorized territories.

Experts say Starlink is widely available on the black market, suggesting its misuse is a global systemic problem. It also raises questions about the company’s control over a system with major security implications.

Starlink has not been clear about the availability of its services in unauthorized areas. However, availability is attributed to “spill over” – a phenomenon in which bandwidth intended for a specific satellite communications region inadvertently extends beyond its designated area.

However, bandwidth spillover from Malaysia, Indonesia or Mongolia – the closest places it is available – seems to be far too simplistic an explanation.

According to the Washington Post, the US Federal Communications Commission told a UN regulator that Starlink could disable individual terminals and prevent certain areas from receiving a signal – a practice known as “geofencing”.

The company can also identify the location of active satellite dishes based on their pings to satellites – of which there are more than 6,000. And that appears to have been the case in the past. In August, many Ukrainian troops reportedly found their Starlink terminals not working when entering Russia’s Kursk region due to potential geofencing.

COST

Starlink offers different plans and devices based on their capacity, end use and speed. In Malaysia, the base model, called the ‘Standard Actuated’ kit, is available for almost MYR 1,700 or Rs 32,190 at a discounted price. It was originally priced at Rs 43,800.

For residential use, users would have to shell out an additional MYR 220 or Rs 4,190 per month. The “ROAM” plan for Malaysian users costs MYR 700 or Rs 13,340 per month for unlimited internet access.

Some foreign websites offer to deliver a standard Starlink terminal for around Rs 49,000 to India.