SpaceX’s tighter restrictions on Starlink terminals used outside their country of registration are raising fears of widespread internet disruptions in Myanmar’s conflict zones, where satellite connectivity has become a vital communications lifeline for civilians, humanitarian organizations, and independent media.

Under an updated Starlink Roam policy, terminals used continuously outside their country of registration for more than 30 days must be registered in the country where they are operating. Beginning August 17, 2026, devices used outside their registered country will function for only 30 consecutive days unless users upgrade to a Priority Plan, localize their accounts, or return the hardware.

Sources close to Starlink retailers told SHAN that the stricter enforcement has already resulted in terminals being blocked in Myanmar, where Starlink remains unauthorized for official use.

“From what we understand, the terminals being blocked are those whose registered location does not match where they are currently being used, particularly since many devices in Myanmar were purchased and registered in other countries,” a local source said.

Although unlicensed in Myanmar, Starlink has become the primary means of internet access in many conflict-affected areas where conventional telecommunications have been destroyed or shut down by fighting and military-imposed blackouts. Residents, humanitarian workers and journalists rely on the service for financial transactions, emergency healthcare, education, humanitarian coordination and news reporting.

“It’s not completely unusable yet, but people rely on Starlink for money transfers, healthcare, the education of displaced children and access to vital news,” said a resistance fighter operating along the Shan-Karenni border. “If it gets shut down, people across many regions will face severe difficulties.”

Saw Chit Aye, editor-in-chief of Kantarawaddy Times, said a complete shutdown would severely disrupt the flow of information in Karenni State, where mobile and internet services have remained largely unavailable since the 2021 military coup.

“We rely on Starlink to transmit news. If it is no longer available, informing the public will become extremely difficult because there are no viable alternatives,” he said. “Media workers may have to travel into high-risk areas simply to establish communications.”

Industry sources said SpaceX’s tighter restrictions are also intended to prevent Starlink terminals from being used by cyber-scam operations based along the Thai-Myanmar border. In October 2025, the company deactivated about 2,500 terminals near known scam compounds.

However, the Myanmar Internet Project reported that the crackdown also affected terminals located far from scam centers, disrupting connectivity in regions including Magway, Sagaing and Rakhine State.

In response to the latest restrictions, 249 Myanmar civil society organizations submitted a joint appeal to SpaceX, the U.S. government and international organizations, urging them to ensure that anti-scam enforcement measures do not undermine humanitarian access to communications.

While expressing support for international efforts to combat cross-border cybercrime syndicates, the coalition warned that blanket restrictions were causing severe collateral harm to civilians living in conflict-affected areas.

The organizations said that with approximately 80 of Myanmar’s 330 townships affected by communications blackouts caused by conflict-related infrastructure damage and military-imposed internet shutdowns, an estimated 13.3 million people now depend on low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet as a necessity rather than a luxury.

According to the coalition, Starlink has become indispensable for humanitarian and medical coordination, including ambulance dispatches, aid delivery and remote medical services. The service also supports real-time early warning systems that alert civilians to airstrikes and troop movements, enabling them to evacuate before attacks.

The coalition said Starlink is also critical to interim public services and governance, supporting more than 61,000 teachers and 790,000 students under the National Unity Government (NUG), as well as ethnic administrative bodies including the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Karenni Interim Executive Council (IEC).

Independent media organizations and human rights groups also rely on satellite internet to securely transmit verified evidence of alleged war crimes and other abuses to United Nations investigators and international accountability mechanisms.

The coalition urged SpaceX to replace blanket restrictions with targeted enforcement measures, such as using the documented geographic coordinates of known scam compounds. It also offered to work with the company to establish a verification mechanism that would distinguish humanitarian organizations and other legitimate users from criminal networks.