Does Elon Musk’s dream of satellite internet for all matter to anyone in China?
Experts say that even if China did let the SpaceX internet service Starlink operate in the country, which is unlikely, it would still be censored
Elon Musk is hoping that by next year, the SpaceX satellite internet service Starlink will be accessible to most of the world. The company has been moving fast to achieve this. Since the first launch in May of last year, it’s sent up 422 satellites across seven flights to low Earth orbit, creating the world's largest internet satellite constellation.
But even though the goal is to reach people who might not otherwise have access to high-speed internet, Starlink might be locked out of the country with the largest internet population. That’s because China also has one of the world's most tightly controlled internet environments.
Experts seem to agree that China may remain more inaccessible to SpaceX than outer space. To officially launch a service in China, SpaceX would need permission from local authorities, which would also mean complying with censorship. But there’s technically another way of doing things.
“I think the chances of Starlink getting market access in China would have to be very low, whether they have ISL or not,” said Blaine Curio, founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting.
ISL, or intersatellite links, is one way Starlink could theoretically access users in China. It obviates the need for ground stations in certain areas by sending data between satellites. This also results in lower latency and higher speeds. But the Chinese government likely wouldn’t appreciate this.
“It would, I think, be rather problematic for the government as it would essentially be a foreign ISP accessing China from space…” Curio said. “[It] would be mental but conceivable.”