Starlink Opens Internet Access for Some Yemenis Amid War and Opposition

At the Mukalla Creative Hub in the coastal city of Mukalla, four Starlink terminals provide internet speeds of up to 100-150 Mbps, enabling continuous connectivity, according to Hamzah Bakhdar, a digital freelancer working there, who spoke to Al Jazeera.

Amid a war that has devastated telecommunications, eroded incomes, and isolated remote areas, Starlink is helping create a small but growing digital workforce of designers, programmers, teachers, and freelancers. They can work for foreign clients and earn far more than in the weakened local economy.

Internet in Yemen has long been weaponized: fiber optic cables have been cut, and the Houthi group controls major service providers, blocking websites it deems linked to rivals. The arrival of Starlink has provided an alternative, allowing people to bypass tight Houthi control and stay connected even in remote areas.

Mohammed Helmi, a video editor and motion graphics designer, said that thanks to high-speed internet at the Mukalla café, he no longer worries about losing connection or missing deadlines—problems that once disrupted his work. “Before, when I downloaded a file to my computer, it would stop as soon as I ran out of data. I had to buy another gigabyte and start the download all over again. Because of that, I often had to turn down projects,” Helmi said.

Under an agreement signed with Yemen’s internationally recognized government in September 2024, Starlink is the only low-orbit satellite internet service legally permitted to operate in Yemen. However, each terminal costs around $500—far too high for the vast majority of Yemenis, over 80% of whom live below the poverty line. Mariam, a student at Hadramout University, said that even purchasing internet vouchers from local resellers of Starlink access is beyond her means, let alone buying the equipment.

The Houthis have reacted fiercely, launching a campaign warning people not to use Starlink and threatening legal action against anyone found with the equipment. They accuse the company of being a “U.S. spy agent” and a “serious threat to national security.” Some experts also worry that data collected via Starlink’s internet service could be used for intelligence gathering and economic exploitation.

Despite the threats and high costs, Starlink has spread across the country, reaching areas long isolated. Omer Banabelah, a mobile app developer, said that before Starlink, every time he visited his rural village in Hadramout, he disappeared from the digital world. Now, thanks to Starlink coverage, he can reply to client messages anytime, anywhere.

Yemeni teachers have also benefited. Raja al-Dubae, the principal of a school in Taiz, said the school began hosting online classes for Yemeni students abroad in 2023. Initially, using local networks, disruptions were frequent. After installing Starlink, student numbers grew from 50 to over 200, revenue increased, and teachers gained extra income. Al-Dubae said: “With Starlink, the internet is very fast and reaches every corner of the school. Teachers no longer lose connection with students. I never thought it would make such a difference.”

For those accustomed to Starlink’s high-speed internet and the better incomes it brings, the worst scenario is returning to the slow, unreliable local networks. Helmi said: “If Starlink is cut off, I will be devastated and forced to go back to the local market, which cannot cover my living expenses. I would have to do three or four jobs just to earn the same amount as one project from abroad.”