Elon Musk denies operation of ‘Starlink’ in Manipur

Imphal: Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, has denied operation of Starlink in Manipur stating that Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India.

Manipur Police on December 13 claimed seizure of an internet satellite antenna and a router (marked as ‘Starlink,’).

This has raised questions if Starlink being used in Manipur.

An X user posted, “@Starlink is being used by terrorists. Hope, Elon @elonmusk looks into it and help control misuse of this technology.”

“This is false. Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India.”Elon Musk replied on Tuesday.

The antenna and the router were recovered along with 20 meters of FTP cable, one MA4 assault rifle, one 12-bore single-barrel gun, one 9mm pistol, five hand grenades, and ammunition from Keirao Khunou, in Imphal East district.

The ‘Starlink’ device, manufactured by SpaceX, is currently illegal in India. It was allegedly used by Meitei insurgent groups in the northeastern state. The router also bore the inscription ‘RPF/PLA’ (Revolutionary People’s Front/People’s Liberation Army), a proscribed underground outfit.

‘Starlink’ is a satellite-based internet service designed to provide connectivity to underserved areas worldwide.

Over the past 19 months of crisis in the state, Manipur faced multiple internet shutdowns as a preventive measure to curb the spread of hateful messages, audio, and videos.