Is Elon Musk's Starlink a wolf in sheep's clothing?

Amid talk of Elon Musk's Starlink seeking to offer satellite broband internet service in India, think tank Kutniti Foundation has highlighted US giant's deep ties with US intelligence and military agencies that could impede national interests.

Calling Starlink "a wolf in sheep's clothing", foundation said Starlink is a dual-use technology with "its biggest customer and promoter being American government intelligence and military."

While legacy mobile phone service providers use telecom towers for offering voice and internet services, satellite communication or satcom involves using a constellation of satellites for offering same. However, re are concerns that control of those satellites lies outside country.

"Starlink constellation of satellites is a new form of internet service providers across world, unbound by geographic demarcations and natural boundaries. A direct access to every citizen in world, with no governance structure in between user and American one," Kutniti said in a report.

On Tuesday, Communications Minister Jyotiritya Scindia h stated that Starlink was yet to comply with security norms, and a licence for satellite broband services will be issued only after y meet all requirements for services in India.

An email sent to Starlink seeking comments on Kutniti report remained unanswered.

Musk, whose space company SpaceX is said to be building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a US intelligence agency, h clashed with Biden ministration over use of Starlink satellite connectivity in Ukraine war.

billionaire, who h openly supported Donald Trump over Biden's party colleague Kamala Harris in just concluded US presidential election, h last year stated that he refused a Ukrainian request to activate his Starlink satellite network to aid an attack on Russian fleet.

Kutniti cited reports of some of contracts between Musk's companies and US agencies to say, "se are just known contracts of Starlink as part of intel-military-industrial complex of USA, re are a lot of confidential agreements and contracts kept behind covers."

"In dition, it is well known that owner of Starlink, Elon Musk, is close to various private intelligence companies, and is a highly politically exposed person in USA including but not limited to Palantir Technologies USA, and Trump Election 2024," it said.

Starlink's dual-use technology provides low-cost global coverage high-speed internet service and also has potential to provide high-definition pictures and even live video.

report cited Musk-led companies "disregard for sovereignty and democracy of or nations" such as in Brazil, Ukraine and Iran.

"Starlink is (very candidly) a technology of geopolitical control, pushed by intelligence and defence forces to have dominance in space and control over land via that lever," it ded.

Listing out US laws, New Delhi-based Kutniti in a report said US government and its agencies, wher government or private, have "a duty as a good patriot to make sure to run such programmes that deepen American economic and military interest".

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