Two major power cuts on Elon Musk's Starlink have shown how vulnerable satellite internet systems can be, especially when compared to the more resilient fibre and mobile networks most people rely on.
Even though these systems, which Jeff Bezos's Amazon is also developing through its Project Kuiper constellation, are helping to revolutionise global connectivity by reaching remote areas, the recent blackouts show they are still prone to disruptions.
Starlink users across several continents lost service in July for more than an hour after a technical issue in the company’s network software.
Another power cut on Monday left thousands of customers in North America without internet access until engineers restored the system.
More than 8,000 Starlink satellites operate 550km above Earth. Users connect to them with their own dish, which links to a satellite overhead before the signal is passed to ground stations that plug into the wider internet.
Updated satellites also use laser links to transfer data between each other in space, which helps SpaceX reduce its reliance on ground stations and improve coverage in remote areas and over oceans.
Why are space-based systems less reliable?
Dr Sarath Raj, director of the satellite ground station at Amity University in Dubai, said a Starlink power cut is a reminder of the difference between centralised and decentralised systems.
“Terrestrial networks like fibre and mobile are designed with multiple redundant pathways and local rerouting, so a cut cable or a downed tower typically only affects a limited area,” he told The National.
“Starlink, on the other hand, despite having thousands of satellites, depends heavily on its centralised control software. A single software glitch or misconfigured update can disrupt connectivity worldwide, creating a single point of failure.”
Dr Raj said power cuts in traditional telecoms are usually caused by physical problems such as damaged cables, fallen towers or power failures, which tend to be limited to one area.
But in low-Earth orbit constellations like Starlink, disruptions are more prone to be global and systemic, with the greater risks coming from software glitches or cyber attacks rather than individual satellites.
“The vast number of satellites in Starlink’s constellation provides impressive physical coverage, but that alone does not guarantee reliability,” said Dr Raj.
“The real vulnerabilities lie in the ground-based infrastructure and control software, which act as the network’s brains.
“Cyber attacks on centralised routing systems, disruptions at ground gateways that link satellites to the global internet, or even exploits in user terminals could all degrade or shut down service on a large scale.”
How important is Starlink?
Starlink was a crucial communications lifeline for Ukraine’s military after Russia’s invasion, restoring internet access where traditional networks had been destroyed.
But when the service was first activated in 2022, Mr Musk warned it could also be hit by cyber attacks.
Mr Musk posted on X at the time: “Important warning: Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine, so probability of being targeted is high. Please use with caution.”
Xianbin Wang, research chairman at the Trusted Communications and Computing at Western University, Canada, said low-Earth orbit (Leo) systems are less robust overall.
“As a standalone internet service provider, Leo networks are much less resilient than fibre and mobile networks,” he said.
“Traditional telecom systems are developed with highly redundant capacity and architecture. As a comparison, Leo satellite networks have very limited capacity and redundancy.
“Consequently, the outage probability in such networks is expected to be much higher.”
Dr Raj echoed Mr Wang’s comments and said that Starlink does provide “impressive coverage” but the real vulnerabilities lie in its ground-based infrastructure and control software, which act as the network’s “brains”.
“Cyber attacks on centralised routing systems, disruptions at ground gateways that link satellites to the global internet, or even exploits in user terminals could all degrade or shut down service on a large scale,” he said.
What are the advantages?
Despite these risks, the internet satellites do still fill a crucial gap, especially in remote and conflict-hit areas where terrestrial networks are unavailable.
“The advantage of the satellite communication is its global coverage, including remote but critical areas,” Mr Wang said.
“Depending on the needs and situations, Leo satellite networks could play a critical role.”
Mr Raj said that because of the growing reliance on these systems, internet satellites should be considered part of a country’s critical infrastructure.
“Starlink has evolved from an innovative service into a strategic asset, relied upon by remote communities and even militaries in conflict zones such as Ukraine,” he said.
“For this reason, it should be treated as critical infrastructure, similar to power grids, water systems and terrestrial telecom.”
Regulating such a system, however, is complicated because Starlink is a private company serving a global customer base.
“This creates jurisdictional challenges as it is unclear which authorities set the rules and ensure compliance when the service spans multiple countries,” said Dr Raj.
