"First Detection of Low Earth Orbit Satellite Communication Equipment"
A foreign vessel using SpaceX's Starlink in Chinese waters has been detected by Chinese authorities.
Illegal use of low Earth orbit satellite communication equipment was detected in Chinese waters. Screenshot from Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration's WeChat.
On December 19, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese maritime authorities recently detected and took action against a foreign vessel using low Earth orbit satellite communication equipment at Ningbo Port in Zhejiang Province. SCMP stated that, based on released photos, the equipment was confirmed to be Starlink from SpaceX, the space company led by Elon Musk. However, details such as the vessel's nationality or the specific measures taken have not yet been disclosed.
Starlink is a low Earth orbit satellite communication system that sends and receives signals directly with satellites orbiting 550 kilometers above the Earth. This allows it to provide communication services without spatial constraints, such as at sea or in the air, effectively eliminating communication dead zones. Currently, Starlink is available in over 100 countries worldwide, but the use of its equipment has not been authorized in China.
According to local Chinese laws, satellite communications within China must go through a gateway known as the "Great Firewall." Since Starlink connects directly with satellites and does not require this gateway, it creates what the Chinese government considers an uncontrollable "digital loophole." Therefore, vessels equipped with Starlink devices are required to stop using them upon entering Chinese territorial waters.
On December 17, the Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration announced via its official social media account that it had successfully detected the illegal use of low Earth orbit satellite communication equipment in Chinese jurisdictional waters, marking the first such case in the country. The administration explained that regular inspection personnel discovered suspicious small antenna equipment installed on the deck. They further confirmed that the vessel continued to use this equipment to transmit data even after entering Chinese territorial waters.
The Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration emphasized, "Illegal satellite equipment can cause radio interference with the wireless communication equipment of nearby vessels, potentially disrupting safe navigation," and added, "We will strengthen enforcement against such activities to safeguard national security."
A telecommunications expert explained that while low Earth orbit satellite communications enable borderless internet access, they can conflict with national security concerns, citing this incident as a representative example.
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