Following a bombardment in Gaza by Israel, phone and internet connections were completely destroyed. Many dub this communication blackout as a ploy by the aggressors to fetter efforts by humanitarian organisations to document was happening. While a loss of any connections creates a vacuum in the provision of information, the worst thing is that it creates a scene of disorder and distress as paramedic teams and aid organisations have to struggle when coordinating rescue and relief efforts. Families were left in the dark without information about their loved ones and ambulance drivers, devoid of instructions, had to blindly drive into the jaws of death to provide much-needed aid.
Amidst all of this, Elon Musk, on 28 October 2023, offered his Starlink satellite internet service to ‘internationally recognised aid organisations’ in Gaza. This announcement occurred after a social media campaign emerged, gaining traction, urging Musk to provide the beleaguered area with Starlink internet access to address the connectivity issues caused by the conflict. After he posted on his social media platform as to how he was in a dilemma and “was stuck between what the best thing to do was”, Musk agreed to the primary demands of the campaign. Even though he came forth with this announcement, Musk took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to state that the responsible authority for ground connections in Gaza was unclear. He also noted that as far as he was aware, no ground terminal had requested a connection in that region. There was a lack of clarity about the time, location and way in which the terminals will be set up in Gaza. Israel however did not respond to this announcement positively. Israel’s communication minister, Shlomo Karhi, expressed opposition by indicating that they would retaliate against this action.
What is Starlink?
Starlink is a controversial and ambitious project of the billionaire tech behemoth Elon Musk (who also happens to have become a permanent resident in the world of news). Technically, Starlink is a satellite network founded and grounded by SpaceX: Musk’s brainchild. It is a high-speed internet service that boasts nearly global coverage. The satellites are designed to serve the purpose of offering affordable internet connectivity to ground terminals, offering internet connectivity to remote and underserved areas. In other words, internet access is provided to Earth straight from the sky. An effort to address the challenge of limited internet access in such regions.
Starlink began to launch its satellites in 2019 and as of August 2023, has already deployed over 5000 satellites. A number that also involved tons of finances. While 5000 does appear to be a number that is difficult to wrap one’s head around, it pales in comparison to Musk’s target of launching a total of 42,000 satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Starlink has already initiated internet service in several countries but is not yet available worldwide. Intriguingly, Starlink satellites can be spotted by the naked eye as they traverse the night sky. Some apps can give users a heads-up about the specific intervals when the satellites do their rounds above specific locations. Not-so-intriguingly, the size and scale of this project have many astronomers worrying because it will mess with observations of the universe. Spaceflight safety experts have labelled Starlink’s satellites as the primary risk for potential collisions in Earth’s orbital space. Unsurprisingly, it can also impact climate change because an unhealthy amount of metal will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere during the deorbiting process of satellites that have reached their ripe old age.
Starlink’s existence matters because the conventional method of extending internet access to a region involves the installation of fibre-optic cables, which necessitates infrastructure development. On top of that, this infrastructure also demands consistent maintenance. This approach is rife with challenges, particularly in areas that have limited access or are difficult to access. Ones that are considered to be remote. Therefore, the anatomy of these regions is not built to accommodate laying and maintaining physical cables. While this was the initial premise that Starlink used to make its presence meaningful, the course of action it is taking is travelling in an entirely different direction.
The very first time that Starlink played a part in a war zone was during the Russian-Ukraine conflict. It is said that Ukrainian armed forces relied heavily on Starlink’s internet connectivity to coordinate their military operations and counter the initial Russian advance. However, in September 2023, Musk revealed how he turned down a request from Ukraine to provide Starlink network access in the Crimean peninsula. Musk reportedly did not want to be a chaperone of a major act of war.
Will Starlink stand its ground in Gaza?
During a time of crisis as such, communication is vital. Denying access to communication for a population of over 2 million is a violation of human rights. While Starlink has the potential of being a great support to fall back on, as mentioned in AlJazeera, Marc Owen Jones, Associate Professor of Middle East Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University based in Doha, is sceptical about how well it would fare in Gaza. He believes that installing Starlink terminals or dishes on a broad scale could pose many hindrances, including obstacles to their importation. It will also be challenging when it comes to the issue of power supply as Gaza currently faces a shortage of fuel. The spate of woes does not end there. The Starlink network relies on ground stations that would require approval within Gaza. Obtaining and being granted such approval under the current circumstances is an unlikely situation. Additionally, owning a Starlink terminal with two-way transmission capabilities could potentially put the people in that region at risk if detected.
The conversation around Starlink and its proposal continues to be limited to a mere back and forth, so far. While telecommunication services in Gaza are slowly being restored by the Paltel Group (provider of communication services in Gaza), it is important to note that even if Musk’s arrangement is to make its way through to the enclave, it will only be exclusively available for recognised international organisations, which means civilians will still need a different plan. This is why efforts continue to be in place to make sure that ordinary citizens have access to communication services in case there is a repetition of what happened.
(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)