The satellite internet service has given Musk unusual personal influence in international affairs, including in the Ukraine and Gaza
Global internet traffic from Elon Musk's Starlink satellites has nearly tripled this year, according to a report from tech infrastructure firm Cloudflare.
In the U.S., Starlink traffic grew by over 150% compared to 2022, and in Brazil, where Starlink launched last year, the increase was more than 1,600%.
The expansion has extended the service to various places, contributing to its rapid growth. However, Starlink's exact growth numbers have not been confirmed by the company.
The satellite internet service, operated by Musk's SpaceX, has raised concerns about his increasing international influence, despite being considered a breakthrough in satellite internet technology.
Starlink's role in global events, such as Musk's involvement in decisions related to the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts, has sparked discussions about the potential impact of his control over the service.
Elon Musk, serving as the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla while also being the owner of the social media app X, defended his decisions related to Ukraine when U.S. senators raised objections about his influence. In a September post on X, Musk explained that Starlink's terms of service explicitly prohibit its use for offensive military actions, emphasizing its civilian nature. Despite being designed for crisis situations, Starlink is not intended for offensive or defensive weaponry.
SpaceX is developing a military-specific version of Starlink called Starshield for the U.S. military, which is also a customer of its rocket service. According to Cloudflare, a tech infrastructure firm, Starlink remains the market leader in satellite internet, successfully catering to regions previously underserved by traditional broadband. While some countries, including those in Africa, are listed as upcoming service locations on Starlink's website, certain African nations, including Musk's native South Africa, reportedly require government licenses for importing or using Starlink kits.
Cloudflare's report also notes upcoming competition for Starlink, with Amazon working on a rival service called Project Kuiper, set to launch satellites next year. Additionally, two European firms merged in September to create another competitor named Eutelsat OneWeb.
Source: cometodaddy.xyz
