satellite internet
Musk’s SpaceX: No more money for Starlink service in Ukraine
Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX wants the US to take over Starlink funding in Ukraine. photo
© Britta Pedersen/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa-pool/dpa
Shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine, Elon Musk provided satellite internet there. But the service, which is extremely important for the Ukrainian army, will become too expensive for the tech billionaire in the long run.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has threatened to stop funding his aerospace company SpaceX for satellite internet in Ukraine. SpaceX does not want any reimbursement for previous expenses, but “cannot pay for the existing system indefinitely AND send thousands more terminals,” Musk wrote on Twitter on Friday. That would be “unreasonable”. SpaceX currently has costs of around 20 million dollars (20.6 million euros) per month.
A few days after the start of the Russian war of aggression, SpaceX activated the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine at the end of February and delivered the necessary reception systems. The system establishes fast Internet connections via its own satellites. It serves as an important means of communication for both civilians and the Ukrainian military in areas where there is no longer any access to mobile communications and the Internet due to destroyed infrastructure.
Help in the most critical moments of the war
Ukraine will find a way to keep Starlink operational, said Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Musk “helped us survive the most critical moments of the war,” he wrote on Twitter. At the same time, he showed understanding for the turnaround: in business life there is a right to one’s own strategies. However, it is expected that Starlink will function stably during the negotiations.
Previously, the broadcaster CNN, citing documents from September, reported that SpaceX had asked the US Department of Defense to assume the costs of operating satellite internet in Ukraine. In July, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valeryi Zalushnyi requested nearly 8,000 additional Starlink terminals, CNN wrote, citing additional documents.
Particularly high data throughput
Musk pointed out that in addition to the costs of the access terminals, SpaceX would also have to pay for the connection to the telecommunications infrastructure and protection against cyber attacks. Some of the terminals in the Ukraine have a data throughput that is 100 times higher than what is usual in households.
The tech billionaire caused criticism in early October with a proposal that Ukraine should cede Crimea to Russia for a peaceful solution and that a UN-supervised referendum be held for other areas in the south and east of the country.
According to a report in the Financial Times, Ukrainian troops recently reported failures of Starlink devices on the front line. Accordingly, the system plays a central role in the counter-offensives of the Ukrainian military, which have been ongoing for weeks. In response, Musk tweeted, “What happens on the battlefield is confidential.”
Report CNN Report FT (7.10.2022) Tweet from Musk Another tweet from Musk Tweet from Podoljak