Starlink internet users along the Thailand-Myanmar border and inside Myanmar are worried about communication disruptions after SpaceX began blocking some devices on the morning of July 2.
SpaceX has sent email notices to Starlink users saying some devices are being restricted because they are being used outside their registered service area or because their permitted usage period abroad has expired, according to sources.
A resident of Three Pagodas Pass told IMNA that the number of usable Starlink devices in the town had declined since the morning of July 3, raising fears of an internet blackout at a time when security and military news from the area is a growing concern.
“We’re also having trouble on our end. The connection keeps failing. This has been going on for about a week, but today it’s especially bad. With all kinds of news coming out of Three Pagodas Pass right now, this is a worrying time for us,” the resident said.
Users also said they fear having to pay higher prices as the number of usable Starlink devices decreases.
Residents of Three Pagodas Pass, who faced communication difficulties after a crackdown on online scam operations along the Thailand-Myanmar border, have been relying heavily on Starlink internet, widely used in factories, workplaces, dormitories, and almost all households in the area. The service is provided with help from local armed groups and traders who import and sell Starlink equipment through the border.
A technical expert said the devices currently being blocked include both new devices that have not yet been registered by users and devices that were already registered.
“For the newly unboxed devices, they simply can’t be activated. For the second type, users get an email warning saying the device is being used in a country without authorization – these are usually devices that have only been active for a month or two. For the third type, the devices are being completely shut down because they are used in a country with no permitted access at all,” the expert said.
Technical experts said that while the number of restricted devices and the volume of warning messages has decreased as of today, the situation could change at any time.
Beyond nationwide restrictions, Starlink is also being blocked in other countries around the world where it is used without official authorization, similar to the situation in Myanmar.
Technical experts assessed that the tightening of Starlink’s service policies could also be linked to increased use of Starlink internet by scam gangs, as well as lobbying from Myanmar’s military-controlled commission calling for stricter controls on Starlink usage.
It is also known that Starlink internet use has increased in southern Myanmar due to the destruction of phone and internet lines in many conflict areas across the country, as well as border crackdowns on scam operations.
