Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink is set to launch in India, promising fast and reliable access in rural and remote areas. Union Minister of State for Telecom Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar confirmed that Starlink will be limited to 20 lakh connections, with speeds of up to 200 Mbps, and could cost users as much as Rs 3,000 per month.
But even before Starlink launches, it is already facing global scrutiny. In the US, Senator Maggie Hassan has asked Musk and SpaceX to explain how Starlink devices ended up in scam compounds across Southeast Asia. These hubs—linked to billions of dollars in global fraud—were reportedly connected to Starlink. The Senator questioned that if Starlink can bypass national telecom networks, how will governments track or shut down its misuse.
For India, which is already battling digital arrests, UPI frauds, and job scams that trafficked hundreds of Indians to Myanmar’s cybercrime hubs, this warning could not be more relevant. If tracking cybercriminals is difficult today, satellite internet may make it even harder.
What Starlink Will Offer India
Starlink’s primary target is rural and remote areas, where traditional internet services often fail. The announcement came during a review of BSNL’s 4G rollout, where the Minister of State also stressed that BSNL would continue to focus on its market expansion without raising tariffs.
Earlier this month, IN-SPACe, India’s space regulator, cleared Starlink to offer satellite-based internet services in the country. The clearance followed years of delays since 2022, largely due to security concerns. Starlink has now partnered with Airtel and Jio, which will use their existing dealer networks to distribute the service.
In June, the government granted Starlink three critical licences:
- GMPCS – for satellite-based mobile communication.
- VSAT – to set up small satellite ground stations.
- ISP Category-A – to operate as a nationwide internet provider.
These approvals officially make Starlink the third satellite internet provider in India, after OneWeb and Jio.
But while partnerships and licences clear the way for Starlink’s entry, its earlier delays—caused by the need to comply with “all security-related conditions”—are a reminder of why regulators were cautious. Those same security gaps have already been exploited by scammers in Southeast Asia.
When Starlink Becomes a Tool for Scammers
Starlink’s ability to deliver internet anywhere has made it a lifeline for criminal networks. A Wired investigation earlier this year revealed that scam compounds in Myanmar used Starlink devices more than 40,000 times in three months.
These compounds—often located in Myanmar and Cambodia—are run by organised crime groups. They traffic workers, including hundreds of Indians, and force them to carry out large-scale online scams, such as “pig butchering”, where fraudsters build fake relationships to con victims out of money. According to The Hindu, Starlink devices in these compounds allowed them to stay online even when local authorities tried cutting electricity and internet access.
Even though Starlink is not officially licensed in Myanmar, it still functions there through informal channels. Despite concerns over scams, Starlink has also proven useful for humanitarian groups. Activists in conflict zones, like David Eubank of Free Burma Rangers, have credited it with keeping displaced communities connected during crises.
Therefore, critics of governments may find Starlink valuable because it can bypass local telecom infrastructure, making it harder for authorities to censor or restrict internet access during shutdowns.
Why India Should Be Worried
The evolving cybercrime landscape isn’t just a problem abroad. In India, scams have advanced rapidly. What began as small-time frauds in the rural Mewat region, where bad actors tricked victims over phone calls, has grown into sprawling networks running digital arrest rackets, UPI frauds, and job scams that trafficked workers to the very scam compounds now using Starlink.
Decode has also tracked how social media platforms like Telegram and Facebook have become critical infrastructure for scammers. From fake loan ads to phishing networks operating openly in chat channels, cybercrime has gone mainstream. For Indian police, tracing these crimes is already a challenge because the perpetrators often sit overseas and hide behind anonymising tools.
If Starlink enters this mix, it could make the problem even worse. Satellite internet would potentially allow bad actors to bypass domestic telecom networks entirely, making enforcement even harder.
Starlink might help rural India get online but it could also help scammers slip further out of reach.
