Context: Recently, the Indian Army and Manipur police seized weapons that looked like a Starlink-branded satellite router and antenna, during a search operation in multiple districts of Manipur.
Amid the controversy, Elon Must has refuted the claims and said that the beams of Starlink satellites are turned off over India.
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: Starlink project.
Mains: Risks posed by utilising modern technologies (like Satellite communication, UAV etc.) in militancy areas.
What is the Starlink controversy in Manipur?
- Among various guns and ammunition seized by the Indian Army in Manipur, a small satellite device and a router with the SpaceX logo was found. The devices were potentially smuggled from Myanmar.
- The Starlink device had ‘RPF/PLA’ written on it, which refers to the People's Liberation Army of Manipur. (It is a Myanmar-based Meitei ethnic group that demands a separate nation)
- Despite being restricted in India, the discovery of these devices raise concerns about the possibility of usage of satellite-based communication devices by militants in India as well as illegal international trade.
Also Read: What Manipur Needs?
Indian laws for Satellite Communication:
- India has strict restrictions and regulations for use of satellite-based communication devices, even by citizens in conflict-free zones.
- Under Section 6 of the Indian Wireless Act and Section 20 of the Indian Telegraph Act, use of thuraya/iridium satellite phones is illegal in India.
- Even key satellite-based emergency features on premium phones that are easily available for overseas users, are not enabled for use in India.
- These restrictions are in place to combat militancy and terrorism.
What is the Starlink Project?
- Starlink is a SpaceX project.
- Launched in 2019, it aims to build a broadband network that can provide high-speed global internet access, particularly in remote and underserved areas with a cluster of thousands of orbiting satellites.
- The Starlink satellites will be placed in an altitude range between 350 km - 1,200 km in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
- As of 2024, the constellation consists of over 7000 satellites.
- Features: High speed, low latency.
- Starlink’s status in India:
- India has not yet cleared an application by Starlink to offer satellite-based communication services in the country.
- Its application is pending security approvals from the Ministry of Home Affairs.