Elon Musk is making a strong push for Starlink's entry into India. But why is the Indian government adamant? The ongoing war in Ukraine demonstrates that foreign satellite internet poses a threat to the country's security.
The threat from Starlink
Recently, Elon Musk, expressing his anger over the denial of approval for his Starlink internet service in India, posted sarcastic tweets about the country's top businessman Mukesh Ambani and PM Modi. Musk claimed that his satellite internet access was being deliberately blocked. But is this really true? There are many reasons behind this, one of which is national security. Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a significant revelation regarding Starlink.
Zelensky has alleged that Starlink's internet speeds were deliberately slowed down in Ukraine following a falling out with US President Donald Trump to teach Ukraine a lesson. He claims SpaceX took this action at the behest of the US government. Although US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant has dismissed this as irresponsible, this uproar has made it clear how dangerous it can be to leave a country's security to a foreign private company.
Ukraine suffers losses due to sudden internet slowdown during war.
In today's world, wars aren't fought solely with cannons and guns. Instead, they're won through fast communication and data. When ground-based mobile towers and cable networks are destroyed during war, satellite internet like Starlink becomes the military's primary support. The Ukrainian army relies entirely on this network to communicate with its soldiers, monitor the enemy, and share information.
But according to Zelensky, when the speed of Starlink terminals was suddenly reduced, it left soldiers fighting on the front lines helpless. They faced significant difficulties in flying drones and operating air defense systems to protect against airstrikes. This illustrates the potential for significant trouble if a country's military becomes dependent on a private company's network whose switches are controlled by another country.
Why is India not approving Starlink?
Given what's happening with Ukraine, it's clear why the Indian government is taking such a strict and cautious stance regarding Starlink. It's true that satellite internet can easily reach remote and mountainous areas of the country, where cable laying hasn't been possible to date. However, India's national security and strategic independence are more important than this facility.
Especially in sensitive areas along our borders, communication systems must be 100% reliable. Before introducing any foreign technology, India wants to ensure who will have complete control over the data and networks. The government does not want to risk the possibility that, due to global tensions or political pressure, communications in critical areas of the country could suddenly be disrupted, leaving us to watch.
Control in the hands of foreign companies is a risk for the country.
Technically, the company that operates satellite internet and networks has complete control over it. That company can reduce internet speeds and completely shut down services in any area at will, either on its own or at the behest of its own government. When a country doesn't have direct control over that technology, relying excessively on it is like shooting oneself in the foot.
Today, this threat isn't limited to satellite internet like Starlink. Foreign cloud services, large digital platforms, and other technical systems face the same problem. If a foreign company changes its rules during a war or major crisis, national security could be at risk.
