Israel exploring SpaceX Starlink satellite internet service for communication

The Israeli government is in touch with SpaceX to expand the Elon Musk-led company's satellite internet service to bolster communication during the ongoing conflict.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket illuminates the sky as it is launched from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force in Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. The rocket is carrying a batch of Starlink satellites. (Malcolm DenemarkFlorida Today via AP)

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Ahead of an expected imminent ground invasion of Gaza, Israel is in talks with SpaceX to set up Starlink satellite internet services to aid with wartime communications.

SpaceX’s Starlink service uses constellations of low-Earth orbit satellites to deliver low-latency internet to users. The service is currently not available in Israel and users need a Starlink terminal in order to access it. An Israeli official said that the country is in talks with SpaceX to bring Starlink service as it is looking into stopping cell and internet communications in Gaza.

“An activity is taking place to coordinate the company ‘Starlink’ in Israel, so that it will be possible to operate satellite communication terminals of the company ‘Space-X’, which will allow connection to broadband Internet in Israel. Also, under the guidance of the minister, the ministry promotes the purchase of these satellite devices for the benefit of mayors and heads of settlements in the conflict line settlements,” said Shlomo Karhi, the Israeli Minister of Communications in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

איגרת לעובדי ומתנדבי משרד התקשורת:

שלום לכולם,

מאז תחילת המלחמה, אנו עושים לילות כימים להבטחת הרציפות התפקודית של משק התקשורת בישראל. ההתגייסות וההירתמות של כולכם למאמץ המלחמתי מעוררת התפעלות לא רק במרחב הפנימי של המשרד אלא גם ובעיקר במוקדי הפעילות ברחבי הארץ בכלל וביישובי קו… pic.twitter.com/AW6lmY5qa4

— 🇮🇱שלמה קרעי – Shlomo Karhi (@shlomo_karhi) October 17, 2023

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If the Israeli government begins using Starlink at the frontlines of the conflict, it will not be the first time that the service will be used during the war. When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Elon Musk announced that SpaceX was activating Starlink service in Ukraine. Musk also said that many terminals were sent to the country.

The Starlink communications service has proven “exceptionally effective on the battlefields,” and had allowed Ukrainians to support multiple device connections in a combat environment, reported Reuters in October 2022, citing a US military official.

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Despite its proven effectiveness during conflict, it is not clear what role Starlink will play, if any at all, during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Musk tweeted in October 2022 that he received a request from the Ukrainian government to expand Starlink coverage deep into Russia “with the obvious intent being to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor.” Musk said the request was denied.

“If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation,” he added in the post on X. It is not immediately clear if SpaceX will contravene this policy and activate the Starlink service for Israel.