Musk's Starlink says it is experiencing major network outage
"Starlink is currently in a network outage and we are actively implementing a solution," it said in a post on X.
At the peak of the outage, there were more than 61,000 users reporting issues with Starlink on Downdetector, a website that collates status reports from various sources to track outages.
The service will be restored soon, Musk said on X. "SpaceX will remedy the root cause to ensure it doesn't happen again."
Doug Madory, an expert at the internet analysis firm Kentik, said he was starting to see traffic come back at around 5:28 p.m. ET, after Starlink appeared to have experienced a "total outage" at around 3:13 p.m.
The outage was global, Madory told Reuters, adding that such a sweeping interruption in service was unusual.
With Starlink topping six million users worldwide, SpaceX is now focused on its nascent direct-to-cell business by adding larger satellites to its constellation to boost the network's internet speeds and bandwidth.
SpaceX has launched over 8,000 Starlink satellites since 2020. It now offers service in over 140 countries and territories.
"I'd speculate this is a bad software update, not entirely dissimilar to the CrowdStrike mess with Windows last year, or a cyber attack," said Gregory Falco, director of a space and cybersecurity laboratory at Cornell University.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
36 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Tesla ordered by Florida jury to pay over $400m in Autopilot crash
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A Tesla car passing the US Courthouse in Miami, Florida, where the case is being heard. MIAMI - A Florida jury on Aug 1 found Tesla liable in the 2019 fatal crash of an Autopilot-equipped Model S, and ordered Elon Musk's automaker to pay US$329 million (S$424 million) to the family of a deceased woman and an injured survivor. The payout includes US$129 million of compensatory damages and US$200 million of punitive damages. Tesla was sued by the estate of Naibel Benavides Leon, and by her former boyfriend Dillon Angulo. The lawsuit concerned an April 25, 2019 incident where George McGee drove his 2019 Model S at about 100kmh through an intersection into the victims' parked Chevrolet Tahoe as they were standing beside it on a shoulder. 'Tesla designed Autopilot only for controlled access highways yet deliberately chose not to restrict drivers from using it elsewhere,' Mr Brett Schreiber, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement. 'Today's verdict represents justice for Naibel's tragic death and Dillon's lifelong injuries.' Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment. REUTERS
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Musk's X Accuses Britain of Online Safety 'Overreach'
PARIS: Elon Musk's social media platform X on Friday (Aug 1) accused Britain of regulatory 'overreach' following the implementation of the country's Online Safety Act, a law designed to protect children from harmful content such as pornography. 'The Online Safety Act's laudable intentions are at risk of being overshadowed by the breadth of its regulatory reach,' X said on its Global Government Affairs account. 'A plan ostensibly intended to keep children safe is at risk of seriously infringing on the public's right to free expression.' CONCERNS OVER FREE SPEECH, DUPLICATION X also criticised a new police unit set up to monitor social media and a recently introduced code of conduct for online platforms, calling the measures 'parallel and duplicative.' The company suggested these initiatives could further erode free speech. Despite its criticism, X said it has begun complying with the law by rolling out age-verification systems in Britain, Ireland and the wider European Union. These include estimating a user's age based on account details, using AI to assess selfies, or requiring the upload of official ID documents. FINES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE Under the Online Safety Act, which came into force on Jul 25, UK media regulator Ofcom requires such age checks to be 'technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair.' Companies that fail to comply face fines of up to £18 million (US$24 million) or 10 per cent of global revenue, whichever is higher. Repeat offenders risk being blocked in the UK. WIDER DEBATE OVER PRIVACY The UK's move follows similar efforts in France and several US states, where governments have pushed for stricter age verification for pornography sites. Supporters say the rules are necessary to protect minors, but critics warn that such policies could undermine user privacy and heighten the risk of identity theft if sensitive data were compromised. As users seek workarounds, demand for virtual private networks (VPNs) has surged. According to British media, VPN app Proton reported an 1,800 per cent rise in downloads since last week, with multiple VPN apps topping Apple's UK app store.
Business Times
6 hours ago
- Business Times
GIC leads bidding for stake in Spanish broadband joint venture: sources
[SINGAPORE] Sovereign wealth fund GIC has emerged as the leading bidder for a significant minority stake in a fibre-optic broadband network venture owned by MasOrange SL and Zegona Communications, people familiar with the matter said. GIC and the joint venture owners are negotiating details of a potential agreement for a 20 to 30 per cent stake, according to the people. A deal could value the business, which comprises over 12 million premises, at about 6 billion euros (S$8.9 billion) to 7 billion euros including debt, they said. While talks are advanced, they could still be delayed or even fall apart, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. Zegona-owned Vodafone Spain and MasOrange announced the creation of the venture in January, saying it had an estimated enterprise value of 8 billion euros to 10 billion euros. They have said they would look for an investor to buy 40 per cent. Spain has one of Europe's largest fibre optic broadband networks, but widespread overlap between operators has led to fierce competition. Investors, such as pension funds and private equity firms, have been attracted to fibre in recent years given stable returns and low expenses once networks are deployed. MasOrange is the result of the merger between Masmovil Ibercom and the Spanish operations of Orange Orange has a 50 per cent stake with the remainder controlled by three investment funds-Cinven, KKR and Providence Equity Partners- and MasOrange's chief executive officer, as well as others. Spokespeople for Orange, GIC, Cinven, Zegona and MasOrange declined to comment, while representatives for KKR and Providence did not respond to requests for comment. BLOOMBERG
