Australian reliance on Starlink is now a national security threat

Musk, the world's richest man, made the decision to cut Ukraine's access to Starlink services beyond certain speeds, crippling their drone capabilities as Russia rained missiles down to deadly effect.

This decision was made for purely political reasons. Trump had just announced a diesel fuel deal with Russia and Elon Musk quickly pinned the blame on the US government, despite reporting now confirming it was his decision.

As it stands, more than 200,000 Australian citizens and several government agencies rely on Starlink for internet access. The risk now is that any political decision which damages Musk's business interests or hurts his vulnerable ego could result in decisions to slow, pull or otherwise interfere in internet connectivity in Australia.

Both the Department of Defence and Australian Electoral Commission have agreed to contracts with Starlink, alongside state-based organisations such as the NSW Rural Fire Service. These contracts are worth more than $50 million, according to the ABC.

Musk is no stranger to conflict with Australian regulators. His demand that any content, no matter how violent, be available to users of his X platform put him on a collision course with the eSafety Commissioner following the stabbing of a Sydney priest in 2024. The Telsa and SpaceX CEO won that skirmish in the courts, but it highlights the lengths he will go to push his warped perspective of free speech upon a foreign country.

He is one the largest funders of far-right causes globally. He has spent hundreds of millions propping up the Trump administration, boosted the Alternative for Germany and spends most of his time posting on X about how the western world is being destroyed by immigrants, despite being an immigrant to America himself.

There's a reason Starlink has attracted the business of Telstra and Optus: Australia's own satellite service, Sky Muster, simply does not have the coverage of Musk's global operation. Sky Muster is just two satellites that offers customers in remote areas speeds of up to 100 megabits per a second (Mbit/s). Starlink, in comparison, is a constellation of more than 11 thousand satellites with speeds of up to 400 Mbps, although most customers do not consistently reach those speeds, especially during peak times.

Australia is a country desperate for internet connectivity, particularly in remote areas. The NBN has done a reasonable job of increasing access, but its botched rollout, in terms of planning, speed and delivery, has created a vacuum for reliable, forward-thinking internet services.

You can see the attraction to Starlink in this context. The issue however, is it is in the hands of megalomaniac who has shown no issue in wading into foreign politics or using his businesses as an extension of his power to influence and pressure.

Middle powers such as Australia must pursue sovereignty in the systems it relies upon. People's lives are at stake - imagine an outage driven by politics during a bushfire season, when people are increasingly reliant on internet access to warn them of disasters.

That doesn't mean they need to go alone. Middle powers, such as Australia and Canada, have the capabilities to find solutions to these problems. A partnership with the European Union, who in the wake of Musk's decision to throttle Ukraine's access, also have an incentive for pursuing their own satellite internet services.

Energy, internet, power and water are all essential services that should not be trusted to foreign companies and nationals, particularly when they have the pernicious temperament of the world's richest man. Our own service will cost, but sovereignty, whether alone or in partnership with countries in a similar predicament, is truly priceless in comparison.