Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India, said SpaceX Founder Elon Musk on December 17 night in response to claims of a Starlink device being used by militant forces in Manipur, India. Musk has been keen to launch the satellite communication service in India, asking government authorities to reduce entry barriers for the company.
Musk’s recent statement was in response to an X post by the Spear Corps of the Indian Army that had shared photos of items seized in the Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East and Kagpokpi regions of Manipur. Among the snipers, automatic weapons, rifles, and other artillery photographed, one photo showed a device with a Starlink logo on it.
However, Musk replied to the post, stating, “This is false. Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India.” The company was expected to get its license approval from the government earlier this year in January. Yet even in November 2024, Starlink continued to wait for its license, simultaneously asking the telecom regular to charge a nominal fee of just 1 per cent of the annual revenues as spectrum charges. Following President Donald Trump’s win in the US elections, it was expected that the company would receive more regulatory support in India.
An X user reacted to the post by tagging Musk and asking him to “control misuse of this technology.” Another user asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to formally notify Starlink and seek confirmation of compliance.