An unidentified foreign vessel was found using a foreign-made low-Earth orbit satellite communication device during a routine inspection at Ningbo port in China's Zhejiang province, according to a report. The device was identified as a Starlink terminal, and the ship continued transmitting data after entering Chinese territorial waters. This marks the first successful regulatory action against illegal use of such LEO satellite communications in Chinese waters.
According to the state-run Ningbo Daily reported on Wednesday, maritime law enforcement officers conducting a routine inspection at Ningbo port in Zhejiang province discovered a “micro rectangular antenna” installed on the top deck of an unidentified vessel.
The Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration noted that the antenna was “significantly different from standard maritime safety communication equipment.” It was later confirmed to be a “low-Earth orbit [LEO] satellite communication device manufactured by a foreign company,” and the vessel had continued using the device to transmit data after entering Chinese territorial waters.
The brand was not named in the report, but photos identifiable it as a Starlink terminal. The administration described the case as the first successful regulatory action dealing with “illegal use of LEO satellite communication” within Chinese waters.
Starlink is operated by SpaceX, the US-based company. The incident highlights China's enforcement of regulations on foreign satellite communications in its territorial waters. Details on the penalty or the vessel's nationality were not disclosed in the report.