US Criticism of Enemy State Use Leads to Account Blocking
South Korea Also Unapproved Country
Service Launch Date in Korea Undecided... Ongoing Government Consultations
SpaceX, the space company led by Elon Musk, has begun actively cracking down on the black market for its satellite communication network service, Starlink. The company plans to block all accounts suspected of being intermediaries and those used in unauthorized regions such as Russia and Africa, which have been accessed through indirect import methods. This move is interpreted as a response to concerns that Starlink devices supplied to support the Ukraine war are being rerouted to Russia and exploited for attacks against Ukraine.
"Service to be blocked in unauthorized regions from the end of this month"…Is this in response to the US Congressional investigation?
SpaceX has sent emails to Starlink users in unauthorized countries informing them that services will be blocked starting at the end of this month. On the 20th, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, "Users in unauthorized countries such as Sudan, Zimbabwe, and South Africa who have been using Starlink services received emails stating that their service will be terminated at the end of this month," adding, "The notification clearly states that using Starlink in unauthorized countries violates the terms of service."
Last month, the US House Oversight Committee investigated the recent surge in Starlink's revenue. Evidence was found that Starlink terminals were being exported in large quantities to Russia through third countries, and reports indicated that Russian forces were extensively using Starlink services in the Ukraine war, prompting the investigation. Additionally, there have been cases of Starlink misuse in African conflict zones. A black market has formed where third-country intermediaries reroute Starlink access terminals to other regions, enabling service use in unauthorized countries.
WSJ reported, "In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Mozambique, intermediaries purchase Starlink access terminals, subscribe to roaming services, and then resell them to nearby regions, creating a black market," adding, "These intermediaries mainly claim they are using the service while traveling abroad, but going forward, SpaceX plans to block accounts that use Starlink overseas for more than two months without returning to their home country."
"Uncertain when service will start in Korea"…Ongoing consultations with authorities
A map showing the areas where Starlink service is available. In East Asia, the service is currently available only in Japan and Mongolia. The service launch date in Korea has not been confirmed. [Image source=Starlink official website]
Along with cracking down on the black market, SpaceX intends to expand official markets that have received regulatory approval. In particular, targeting the East Asian region, where service expansion has been the slowest, especially the Korean market, remains a major challenge. In Korea, prolonged negotiations with authorities have reportedly delayed the service launch repeatedly.
Recently, SpaceX marked the expected service start date for Korea as "Unknown" on the Starlink map that provides information on service availability and timing by country. The launch date for Starlink service in Korea was initially postponed from October 2022 to January 2023, then further delayed to the second and fourth quarters of 2023, before being updated last October to "starting within this year."
Starlink is still undergoing government review procedures in Korea. In May of last year, SpaceX's Korean subsidiary, Starlink Korea, registered with the Ministry of Science and ICT as a "period telecommunications service provider without line facilities," offering services by leasing equipment from its US headquarters without building separate infrastructure.
Going forward, Starlink plans to focus on expanding its market in East Asia, where service growth has been the slowest, including obtaining approval in Korea. In East Asia, Japan approved Starlink service in June last year, and Mongolia in July, but most Asian countries such as Korea, Taiwan, India, and Vietnam are still awaiting regulatory approval or are in ongoing consultations.
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