Atalaia do Norte, Brazil —On Tuesday, Brazilian federal agents entered an illegal mining site but were met with gunfire and Starlink internet devices. Nearly 4,000 low-orbit satellites operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX subsidiary, Starlink, connect people in isolated areas of the Amazon and give Ukrainian forces a significant tactical advantage.
The portable, high-speed internet system has also proven useful for Brazil's illegal miners, who can coordinate logistics, get advance notice of law enforcement raids, and make payments without having to fly back to the city.
Environmental violations, particularly illegal mining in Yanomami land, Brazil's largest Indigenous territory, have been the target of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's sterner enforcement.
20,000 prospectors have recently contaminated important waterways with mercury, disrupting Indigenous culture, bringing disease, and triggering a widespread famine.
Seven Starlink terminals were taken by Ibama, preventing illegal miners from using satellite internet to coordinate and communicate. The connection, however, was sluggish and unreliable, particularly on rainy days.
Many of the issues in the Amazon region, including installation, speed, and operation during storms, have been resolved by Starlink, a DIY internet service that was first made available in Brazil last year.
Starlink has taken off in the area and started ushering in change, despite the fact that SpaceX and the communications ministry have not signed any contracts and only three terminals have been installed in Amazon schools for a 12-month trial period.
In December, Rubeney de Castro Alves installed Starlink at his hotel in Atalaia do Norte, giving him access to Netflix, video calls, and bank transfers.
In Atalaia do Norte, Brazil, and Ukraine, where 24,000 Starlink terminals have enabled continued internet in the most vulnerable southeast regions, Starlink has revolutionized the internet.
In Brazil, criminals operating in the Amazon saw the advantages of connectivity right away, and in Ukraine, authorities have established "points of resilience" that provide free internet access and hot drinks. Teenagers from Atalaia come to Alves' hotel every day to play video games. Starlink has gained tactical advantages in Ukraine's conflict with Russia.
The mission of the environment agency to drive miners out of Yanomami territory has been hampered by the spread of Starlink, a technology used to manage illegal mining sites.
In a WhatsApp group for illegal miners, a Boa Vista-based unlicensed Starlink reseller is promoting the units and promising same-day delivery. Other people are selling the Starlink terminals to illegal miners on Facebook groups like "Fanatics for Prospecting." In Atalaia do Norte, Alves pays for services at his hotel.
Installing a terminal at a new checkpoint on the Uraricoera River, authorities in Brazil have begun using Starlink to stop illegal mining activity. They use it to send images and videos of their operation. Starlink's use by illegal miners in Brazil is being investigated by Brazil's environment agency, and the company's communications director has not responded to inquiries about it.