Starlink hardware has just arrived en masse in Ukraine. Courtesy of SpaceX, these antennas come days after satellite internet was activated in the country at the request of the Deputy Prime Minister. The device will allow the population to fight against cyberattacks and network cuts.
“Elon Musk, while you are trying to colonize Mars, Russia is trying to colonize Ukraine”. It is in these words that Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation in Ukraine, addressed the CEO of SpaceX on February 26 on Twitter. The man from the government then asked his interlocutor toactivate the Starlink network and provide the population with equipment to ensure a permanent Internet connection. It is now done.
Yesterday night Mykhailo Fedorov shared the photo ofa truck full of satellite dishes, while thanking Elon Musk. And to the latter to reply: “There’s really nothing.” The Starlink network will now play a crucial role in the war against Russia. While Ukraine is the victim of repeated cyberattacks, probably orchestrated by its adversary, satellite Internet will provide a relatively secure connection, in order, among other things, to disseminate information on the situation.
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Space donates Starlink hardware to Ukraine
For the time being, it is not yet known how the satellite dishes will be distributed and used among Ukrainians. However, a user shared a screenshot on Twitter of the speed obtained in Kyiv, the country’s capital, climbing to 136 Mb/s. However, their installation will not be easy, since the antennas must have direct access to the sky, which will not always be possible in view of the repeated bombings.
Elon Musk therefore continues to help Ukraine during this war. Yesterday, Tesla announced that its Superchargers will be available for free across the country and for all electric vehicles. In France, the initiatives are also linked. Orange and SFR both offered calls and SMS to the state. As for Starlink, several users have asked SpaceX to send their pending hardware to the country, despite serious delivery delays.
