Millions of people and dozens of countries rely on Starlink, giving Elon Musk unprecedented leverage

Starlink has become a key internet service for 13 million people across more than 167 countries, including people in remote areas and conflict zones. Its importance also extends to SpaceX’s finances: the article says it generated over 60% of the company’s revenue last year and was its only profitable business unit.

For sailing influencer Luke Hartley, losing a Starlink device overboard threatened his income and access to weather updates and family calls. He had been using the service to upload videos about his voyage, which helped fund the trip.

The network’s usefulness has shielded it from some backlash directed at Elon Musk over his political activities and public comments. Governments and individuals may have concerns about Musk while still relying on Starlink because alternatives are limited.

That tension is especially clear in Ukraine, where the military uses Starlink for communications and to operate drones. In 2023, Musk said he had declined a request to enable service for a Ukrainian operation in Crimea, citing concerns about SpaceX’s involvement in a major act of war.

Musk later said he would not cut off Ukrainian terminals or threaten to do so as leverage. Still, a Ukrainian drone pilot told the publisher that relying on an unpredictable service is troubling, while acknowledging there is currently no alternative. The article does not identify any planned change to Ukraine’s access.