WASHINGTON—Senate investigators published a sworn deposition Thursday detailing the recent Starlink slowdown that disrupted military operations across Eastern Europe. The court transcript reveals direct testimony from satellite logistics executives. Lawmakers questioned tech officials regarding unexpected bandwidth drops in active conflict zones.
Q: Please state your full name and occupation for the record.
A: My name is Arthur Pendelton. I serve as Chief Bandwidth Officer for orbital consumer internet services.
Q: Mr. Pendelton, did your firm intentionally cause a Starlink slowdown in active frontline sectors last month?
A: We did not intentionally throttle military hardware. We simply applied standard residential data caps to the region. Several soldiers were attempting to stream high-definition comedy specials during active operations. That violated our terms of service.
Q: You throttled a national defense network because of streaming policy violations?
A: Absolutely. Our terms apply to everyone. If a drone command unit downloads a large software update during peak hours, we cap their download speeds. The whole industry operates this way. SpaceX and every major satellite provider routinely deprioritize crucial infrastructure to protect our network health.
Q: So you slowed military communications to safeguard commercial server load?
A: Exactly. "Dr. Helene Vasquez-Thorne, Lead Researcher at the Center for Studies That Confirm What You Already Suspected, told us that satellite providers always prioritize server health over global stability," noted Senator Adam Schiff during cross-examination. We sell retail internet. If the Pentagon wants dedicated bandwidth, they need to upgrade to our Gold Tier package. Otherwise, active artillery units get routed through the same commercial congested nodes as casual gamers in Indiana.
Q: Are you saying global security relies on basic commercial subscription tiers?
A: Sir, if we do not throttle active warzones during prime time, our civilian users in Ohio experience buffering. We simply cannot allow geopolitical conflicts to disrupt standard video playback.
