Starlink geofence appears to have some gaping holes • The Register

Starlink’s self-imposed late April deadline to crack down on roaming users abusing the service has come and gone without seeming to work.

It has been known for some time that the Starlink service, which SpaceX does not formally make available everywhere, can be used beyond geofenced areas. The Ukrainian government has accused the Russian military of using Starlink, despite sanctions against Putin’s defenestration-prone regime, and it has reportedly been used widely in Africa despite only a few countries approving its operations. .

In fact, Starlink’s use in Africa is what brings us to the current news that the service’s geofencing features appear to be full of holes.

Starlink sent a message to African users last month telling them they had until April 30 to bring their receivers to an approved location or risk having service cut off. Since that date has passed, Bloomberg looked to see if the Starlink hack still works and found that it does.

In an online survey, 73 percent of Starlink roaming customers in South Africa reported that their service is still working. Many users in other countries similarly say that their transceivers can still establish a connection.

According to Starlink’s letter sent last month, we told African users outside of Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria and Benin that they would all lose access. The letter reportedly stated that Starlink service would end even for users whose address is in one of those countries and operate in roaming mode, something Elon Musk’s broadband business allows, but not forever.

Starlink began offering a $200-per-month global roaming service early last year, allowing users to travel anywhere and retain access from anywhere a Starlink satellite could connect to. But it looks like Starlink is starting to crack down on those people who blatantly import receivers to get service in countries where the SpaceX business doesn’t offer permanent services.

That is, Starlink really doesn’t like, for example, people buying and activating a terminal in a country where the service is supported, and then taking it to another country where there is no official service, and still being able to use it. the equipment.

Starlink, which operates beyond its own geofences, perhaps due to the illegal importation of terminals into Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine, became a hot political topic in March of this year when congressmen pointedly asked how it was possible for the broadband service would be available to users of a sanctioned nation. It was learned that a large number of Starlink terminals may have reached Russian hands through neighboring countries where access is permitted. Given the description of the situation in Africa, it seems likely that the issue is the same.

Naturally, this raises the question of how Starlink terminals operate where they shouldn’t and whether the roaming service is well governed. This is an important issue, as SpaceX could find itself on the wrong side of its legal obligations.

We reached out to SpaceX but have not received a response. ®