Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), has made a bold claim that Starlink, the satellite internet service provided by SpaceX, will be responsible for 90 per cent of all space-based internet traffic by 2025. Musk stated that Starlink is the only high-bandwidth internet system which covers the entire planet (at present), and is offering connectivity in regions where internet service is mostly unreliable or non-existent.
Starlink Satellites: Growing presence
This statement came in response to a post by an X account named Mario Nawfal, who noted that approximately 6,290 active Starlink satellites are orbiting the Earth. These satellites have been crucial in providing internet services to remote and underserved areas across the globe, highlighting the expanding footprint of Starlink in the satellite internet market.
To this tweet, Musk reverted, "Starlink is the only high-bandwidth Internet system that covers all of Earth. It will probably deliver over 90% of all space-based Internet traffic next year."
About legal challenges in Brazil
Despite its success, we cannot forget that Starlink has recently faced legal challenges in Brazil. The country’s Supreme Court reportedly blocked Starlink's bank accounts amidst a dispute involving X. Musk took to X to criticize Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, accusing him of acting as a “dictator” and questioning the legality of the court’s actions.
Additionally, the Brazilian Supreme Court blocked X after the platform refused to appoint a legal representative in the country. The court ordered that X remain blocked until compliance with all orders, including the payment of over USD 3 million in fines and the appointment of a legal representative. The ruling also stated that anyone using a VPN to access X would be subject to daily fines of 50,000 reais (USD 8,900 or Rs 7,46,621).
Musk’s response to the ruling
Justice Alexandre de Moraes stated that X has been contributing to “an environment of total impunity and lawlessness in Brazilian social networks,” particularly during the 2024 local elections. He further accused Musk of showing “total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty” and acting as if he were “immune to the laws of each country.”
As Starlink continues to expand its global reach, these legal challenges highlight the complexities of operating in different regulatory environments and the potential impact on its services.
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