Elon Musk activates Starlink satellites for Ukraine and prevents Russia from disrupting the Internet
Elon Musk put Starlink in the service of Ukraine, so that it has access to the Internet.
Photo: BRITTA PEDERSEN/POOL / AFP / Getty Images
Elon Musk said his Starlink satellite service is up and running in Ukraine, in response to a request from the deputy prime minister to provide satellite communications to help resist Russia’s attack on the country and to be able to maintain communications on the Internet.
Ukrainian officials enlisted Musk’s help with their company’s commercial internet network after Russia’s military invasion knocked out parts of the country with no internet connection.
Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted to Musk on Saturday: “While you are trying to colonize Mars, Russia is trying to occupy Ukraine! As your rockets successfully land from space, Russian rockets attack the Ukrainian civilian population! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations” and talk to the sane Russians to stand up”.
Musk responded to Federov, who is also the minister of digital transformation: “The Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals on the way”.
Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 26, 2022
Users on the ground in Ukraine will not be able to access the Starlink signal without their own receivers
The key questions are how many of those Starlink terminals Elon can put Musk at Ukraine’s disposal and if the company can deliver them where they are needed.
Musk’s SpaceX plans to put thousands of Starlink satellites into orbit, creating a constellation of Internet services that would function as a low-cost alternative to remote terrestrial systems that are vulnerable to outages.
The billionaire previously donated 50 satellite terminals for restore Internet in Tonga, whose telecommunication network tions was severely affected by a tsunami this year.
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