Combating Satcom Exploitation by Trans-National Criminal Organisations and Terrorist Groups

Satellite-based internet services, particularly those from low Earth orbit (LEO) or non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) communication satellite constellations, have attracted attention from governments worldwide. Even nations that have not built or operate these constellations but authorise their services—as well as those that have not done so—face security challenges that directly threaten their communications sovereignty. The ease with which portable terminals can be smuggled, and the potential for direct-to-cell service from the constellations, pose new global threats. Mobile phones with direct-to-cell satellite services effectively nullify the long-standing prohibition on satellite-phone handsets. In countries experiencing civil unrest, pro-service political factions have exploited such internet services to gain political and economic advantages and establish tactical data links, while service providers and their backers can use them for regime-change operations. This brief recommends domestic regulatory steps and multilateral regulatory advocacy that India should undertake to combat satcom-tech-enabled transnational crime and terrorism.

This Occasional Paper was published by the Observer Research Foundation. This is the weblink to the paper - https://www.orfonline.org/research/combating-satcom-exploitation-by-trans-national-criminal-organisations-and-terrorist-groups