Elon Musk's SpaceX facing government pressure to regulate Starlink technology

Elon Musk’s recently Texanized space tech player, SpaceX, has fallen under fire in recent weeks for the role its Wi-Fi product, Starlink, is playing in several international conflicts across the globe.

Most notably, reports are claiming that Starlink technology is starting to be used by Russian forces in their offensive against Ukraine — a campaign that has forced Ukrainian forces to concede previously occupied territories.

Now, the federal government is pressuring SpaceX to regulate its tech and is even working with the company to do so. However, regulating the technology is proving to be much harder than anticipated — here’s what to know.

What is Starlink?

Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX. In its most basic form, Starlink is a Wi-Fi technology that connects to various SpaceX satellites in order to provide internet even when there are no routers nearby.

The service is described by Musk as a two-step setup process and is designed to provide flexible and reliable internet to its users. Starlink is marketed in three main categories: residential, roam — for mobile land service — and boats — for mobile water service.

The cost for Starlink’s internet services starts at $120 a month with a one-time hardware fee adding an extra $599 to the price tag.

How is Starlink being used in international conflicts?

While sanctions against Russia theoretically mean that Starlinks cannot be sold in the country, reporting from The Wall Street Journal confirms that black market sales of the item are allowing Russia to get its hands on the technology.

Starlinks can be particularly useful during war as military forces can use them to access internet when there are no routers or phone lines around.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Starlinks are being used in conflict throughout Africa in countries like Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Why does the government want to regulate Starlink?

In May, Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia of California wrote that he, and a group of additional lawmakers, were going to be launching a probe into SpaceX to determine whether they are doing enough to prevent Russia from using Starlinks.

Elon Musk took to social media to refute the claim that SpaceX is allowing Russia to use the technology.

“A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. This is categorically false. To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia,” said Musk in a post on X.

At the time of writing, the probe into SpaceX has not concluded though reports show that the company is willingly working with the Government.

Beck Andrew Salgado covers trending topics in the Austin business ecosystem for the American-Statesman. To share additional tips or insights with Salgado, email Bsalgado@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Elon Musk's SpaceX facing government pressure to regulate technology