Devised to facilitate internet connectivity in the most remote regions of the world, Elon Musk’s Starlink has become a vital means of communication in crisis regions and war zones. There are downsides to this.
Lack of internet access is a major problem in many regions of the world today.
Starlink was initially developed by the American tech billionaire Elon Musk to solve this problem. It was designed as a way of quickly getting the internet into regions all over the world where this was either impossible to do by conventional methods, or so expensive that it wasn't worth attempting.
Starlink and SpaceX founder, controversial billionaire Elon Musk Image: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance
Since then Starlink's field of application has widened significantly. It's used as a means of communication in disaster zones, but also by armies or protest movements, for example in regions where the existing internet has been destroyed by enemy fire or shut down by authoritarian governments.
How does Starlink work?
Starlink is a satellite-based system consist
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