Whether in the barren desert landscape, deep in the Amazon rainforest, in the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean, or even in the Antarctic and North Poles, modern man faces a major problem. He cannot access the Internet.
Originally, American billionaire Elon Musk developed Starlink to solve this very problem, providing fast internet around the world especially in such inaccessible areas.
Today, the scope of its use has become much larger and also includes disaster areas and areas of conflict and war in the event that the Internet is interrupted due to hostilities or the intervention of the ruling authority, when popular protest movements emerge.
How does Starlink work?
Basically, it is a satellite-supported Internet system in which approximately 10,000 small satellites surround the Earth, transmitting data between them via laser communications and not relying on a continuous direct optical connection to a ground station that connects the satellite system to the traditional Internet.
Unlike other Internet satellites that orbit at an altitude of about 36,000 kilometers, Starlink satellites are located only about 550 kilometers above the Earth's surface. This allows Internet signals to be transmitted much faster and delays are reduced to a minimum, enabling the use of data-intensive applications.
Users only need a small receiving station equipped with an electronically controlled antenna that is automatically directed toward passing satellites. These stations direct the received signal to a nearby router that provides the Internet connection in the local network.
Where is it used?
Ukraine: Since the start of the Russian war in February 2022, Starlink has become one of the most important communication tools in the war zone. It is used by military personnel to coordinate units, operate drones, and control unmanned ground systems. In the civil sphere, the system is used in hospitals, ambulance services, power supply and the railway network.
The Russian military is also said to be using Starlink with the help of terminals illegally smuggled into the country via third countries. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that it is working closely with SpaceX, which operates the system, in order to limit this use.
Sudan: In the Sudanese Civil War Starlink is mainly used by the Rapid Support Forces fighting the government army. These forces use it for communication and coordination between their militias, while the Sudanese Armed Forces are trying to prevent its import and use.
News reports indicate that hundreds of devices were smuggled into the country via the United Arab Emirates, growing a real black market for Starlink devices in the country.
Iran: In early 2026 protests break out across the country against the regime in Tehran. The latter responded, among other things, by cutting off the Internet. But according to reports, thousands of stations were smuggled into the country and sold at black market prices. The protest movement was thus able to use Starlink to coordinate its demonstrations against the Iranian regime despite government censorship of the Internet.
Venezuela: There Starlink has also been used in the past to break censorship and ensure free internet access. This service has always been available unofficially. After the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro in 2026 by US special units from his palace, Elon Musk granted citizens of the country free access to the Internet for a temporary period.
Gaza: Since July 2024 Starlink has been used for humanitarian purposes in the Gaza Strip, which has been almost completely destroyed. Some relief organizations and a field hospital can use it to provide remote medical assistance and logistical coordination there. But broad access for civilians is still limited due to security concerns on the Israeli side.
Criticism directed at Starlink
Starlink is often the only internet source in conflict zones. This gives Elon Musk very great influence, as communications for armed forces or relief organizations then depend solely on his company, SpaceX. For example, Musk in the past refused to activate the service for Ukraine in order to launch an attack near the Crimean Peninsula. This system was also used as a pressure card by US President Trump, when he threatened Ukraine to turn off satellites in order to force it to make concessions in the negotiations.
Other criticisms affect the environmental aspect. Starlink satellites are produced in large quantities and their lifespan does not exceed five years. On average, one to two of Musk's satellites burn up in the Earth's atmosphere every day, and the aluminum oxide emitted may affect the ozone layer, leading to global warming. In addition, numerous satellites reflect sunlight, making the night sky brighter, which also affects wildlife.
Are there alternatives?
In order to break Starlink's monopoly, alternatives are already being worked on. SpaceX's biggest competitor currently is Europe's Eutelsat. But its OneWeb satellite service is much smaller than Elon Musk's system, with a fleet of about 600 satellites. While its service focuses on commercial and marine clients. That's why Eutelsat is involved in the development of IRIS², an ambitious, highly secure satellite network for the European Union. This network is supposed to make Europe less dependent on Starlink. But it will not become operational before 2029.
In the United States of America, Elon Musk also faces competition from fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos. His company, Amazon, is currently working hard on what it calls “Project Kuiper.” It is a network of more than 3,200 new satellites in low Earth orbit. Through it, Amazon wants to provide the service to the United States of America, Canada, France, Britain, and Germany, starting this year.
China, in turn, is also developing two satellite communications systems of its own. The first is the government project “Guowang” for national and military purposes. It is scheduled to include more than 13,000 satellites. The second is the “Qianfan” project, which is intended for commercial purposes and includes about 12,000 satellites, with the aim of serving emerging and developing countries. The first mass launches for both projects are also scheduled to begin this year.
