MUKALLA — SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service has begun operating in Mukalla, Yemen, delivering connection speeds of 100 to 150 megabits per second following an agreement signed between the company and the internationally recognized government of Yemen in September 2024. The deal made Starlink the only low-orbit satellite internet service legally available in the country.

Starlink is operated by SpaceX and delivers internet by linking a ground dish to low-orbit satellites owned and operated by the company. Starlink kits cost about $500 in a country where more than 80 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

The service has spread across Yemen, reaching areas that previously had no internet connectivity and allowing users to bypass the Houthis' control of telecommunications. The Houthis, based in Sanaa, have fought the internationally recognized government since 2014. The group also controls the country's major internet providers. Buried land cables are sometimes cut, leaving parts of the country disconnected.

The Houthis launched a campaign warning people against using Starlink and threatening legal action against those in possession of the device. The group accused Starlink of serving as a "US espionage agent" and said it posed "a major threat to national security."

In Mukalla, users described the service powering shared workspaces. "Four Starlink devices power the space, delivering speeds of 100 to 150 Mbps and allowing users to stay constantly connected," said Hamzah Bakhdar, a digital freelancer.

Before Starlink arrived, Omer Banabelah could not make phone calls or connect to the internet in his home village. Banabelah, a mobile app developer, said the service changed the pace of his work. "Work that takes 10 minutes with Starlink could take an entire day without it," he said. "I can reply to their messages anytime, from anywhere," he added.