Ukraine will receive another Starlinks. Musk won the tender

In December, the US Department of Defense announced that it would supply Ukraine with devices that would guarantee access to satellite internet. “We will continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has access to reliable satellite communications. Satellite communication is an important element of the general communication network of Ukraine. On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that the tender was won by SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk.

What is Starlink?

Starlink satellite terminals allow the Ukrainian military to stay connected even after the destruction of land and mobile networks. These satellites provide broadband Internet access to remote areas that are not accessible or easily accessible via terrestrial networks such as fiber optic cables. Internet services are urgently needed in Ukraine, as the fighting has severely disrupted Internet access in that country. First of all, this applies to broadband Internet.

Starlink terminals have been operating in Ukraine since last spring. However, it was not without complications, the APU reported that many devices stopped working. The Financial Times became interested in the case, writing about the “catastrophic loss of communication.”

What’s next for Starlink?

Last October, Elon Musk announced that he could not fund satellite terminals indefinitely because it was too expensive. He calculated that the costs associated with providing Ukraine (and primarily the army) with access to secure communications services had already cost him $80 million.

He made it clear that the Pentagon should bear the cost of maintaining the system. However, a day later, he retracted the announcement of the termination of service.