Does reliance on Starlink render a nation's critical infrastructure vulnerable?

Okay, let's talk about this topic.

Imagine you currently have three roads from your home to the city center: a wide national highway, an ordinary provincial road, and a country lane. Normally, you'd probably take the national highway because it's the fastest and most stable. But if one day, for some reason (like a landslide or traffic control), this national highway suddenly becomes impassable, you still have the provincial road and country lane as backup options. Though slower, at least you can still get to the city center.

Now, let's imagine the 'city center' as the 'global internet,' and 'your home' as 'a nation's critical infrastructure' (such as power grids, banks, transportation systems, etc.).

What is Starlink?

It's like building a brand new 'highway' for you in the sky. This road doesn't run on the ground; it connects directly from your home (ground terminal) to the city center (the internet) via satellites. Its advantages are obvious:

1. Wide Coverage: Whether you're deep in the mountains or out on the open sea, as long as there's no obstruction in the sky, you can connect. For places where laying ground lines is difficult, this is a godsend.
2. Immune to 'Cable Cuts': Terrestrial fiber optic cables can be damaged by construction, earthquakes, etc., leading to network outages. Starlink is in space, making it physically harder to be accidentally damaged.

So, what 'vulnerabilities' arise from relying on it?

It's like you find this 'highway in the sky' so appealing—it's fast and convenient—that you decide to abandon all your original ground-based national highways, provincial roads, and country lanes, and from now on, only use this one road. That's when the risks emerge.

1. The 'Master Switch' is in Someone Else's Hands

Starlink is a product of SpaceX, an American company. This means that the control, upgrade, and interpretation rights for the entire system rest with a foreign private company and its host government.

• Analogy: The road outside your home was built by a neighboring village, and the key to the gate at the road's entrance is held by that village's chief. Normally, when relations are good, you can use it freely. But what if one day you have a dispute, and the chief locks the gate? You'd be completely trapped at home.
• Real-world Impact: In extreme geopolitical conflicts, the other party could easily use technical means to restrict or shut down services to a specific country. For power grids and financial systems that rely on it, this would be tantamount to having their 'internet cable pulled,' with unimaginable consequences.

2. Satellites in Space Are Not Absolutely Safe

Although satellites are in space, they are physical entities and are also subject to risks.

• Physical Attacks: In wartime, satellites could become direct targets for anti-satellite weapons. If part of the constellation system is destroyed, services would be affected.
• Space Environment: Intense solar storms, impacts from space debris, etc., can all cause satellites to malfunction. While there are backup satellites, large-scale failures can still occur.
• Signal Interference: Starlink's communication relies on radio signals. Within specific areas, powerful jamming equipment can block these signals, much like activating a signal jammer in an exam room. Although Starlink has anti-jamming technology, this could escalate into a continuous electronic confrontation.

3. Cybersecurity Risks

Any network system carries the risk of cyberattacks, and Starlink is no exception.

• Its ground stations, control centers, and even user terminals could become targets for cyberattacks. Once the core system is infiltrated, attackers could steal data, cause disruption, or even paralyze the entire network.

Conclusion: Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

So, returning to the original question: Does a nation's critical infrastructure's reliance on Starlink create vulnerabilities?

The answer is: Yes, and it's a significant vulnerability.

This isn't to say that Starlink technology is bad; it is, in itself, a revolutionary technology with immense value in civilian, commercial, and emergency communication fields (e.g., disaster relief).

However, for a nation's 'lifeline'—its critical infrastructure—self-reliance and control are the paramount bottom lines.

The wisest strategy is to 'walk on multiple legs':

• Primary: Vigorously develop and maintain our own terrestrial network infrastructure, such as fiber optic networks. This is our 'national highway,' which we must firmly control.
• Auxiliary: Develop our own satellite internet system (e.g., China's 'StarNet'), establishing our own 'aerial highway.'
• Backup: Starlink can be used as a commercial, non-core business supplement or backup. It's like occasionally taking the neighboring village's road to the market, but you would never place your only hope of connecting to the outside world on that road.

In summary, entrusting national security entirely to an external system is tantamount to putting one's fate in the hands of others, which should be strenuously avoided at all times.