US Congressmen demand from Elon Musk to provide SpaceX Internet in Taiwan

A representative of the US Republican Party suggested that SpaceX was suspending satellite services in Taiwan, potentially violating its obligations to the US government.

This was reported by UNN with reference to the Wall Street Journal and Forbes.

Details

A group of U.S. lawmakers are calling on Elon Musk to provide SpaceX's Starshield military satellite communications network to the U.S. defense forces in Taiwan after he refused to do business in the country for years.

Representative Mike Gallagher (R., Wisconsin) said in a letter to Musk that several sources have told the committee he chairs that satellite broadband provided through the company's Starshield unit is inactive near and in Taiwan.

He noted that over the next year, the Pentagon will spend "tens of millions of dollars" on StarShield, which uses satellites in low Earth orbit to provide communications and surveillance imagery for the military.

I understand that SpaceX may deny high-speed Internet service in and around Taiwan - possibly in violation of SpaceX's contractual obligations with the U.S. government

A reliable communication network for U.S. military personnel in and around Taiwan is paramount to protecting U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific region

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It is unlikely that the mercurial Musk will be forced to activate the StarShield system in Taiwan under pressure from lawmakers, Forbes writes. In the past, he has restricted access to Starlink in disputed parts of Ukraine because, in his words, he does not want to be "a clear accomplice to a major act of war and escalation of the conflict." But given the importance of SpaceX's military contracts with the U.S. government, he may have to make a choice in Taiwan.

I think [China's] goals are clear, which is to reunite Taiwan with the mainland by force, if necessary

Recall

The American businessman Elon Musk has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024. He was nominated by Norwegian MP Marius Nielsen, who recognized Musk's contribution to the development of technologies aimed at the benefit of humanity.