SpaceX shuts down 1,300 Starlink antennas in Ukraine
SpaceX has shut down 1,300 antennas of its Starlink service in Ukraine. Elon Musk promised to provide free satellite connectivity to the government after pointing out that the costs are not sustainable. The blackout poses a severe problem to the military trying to repel Russian invaders.
Starlink offline in Ukraine
As a result of the damage to the communications infrastructure by the Russians, SpaceX brought about 25,000 terminals (antennas) to Ukraine. Musk confirmed that a small portion was purchased, while the rest was donated by the company (costs could exceed $100 million by year’s end), for which he had requested funding from the Pentagon. A few days later came the about-face and the withdrawal of the funding request.
As of Oct. 24, about 1,300 antennas were disconnected from the service. These are the terminals purchased by the British government and used by the military. The Ukrainian government pays $2,500/month to access Starlink with a single terminal and has spent about $20 million. Unable to sustain the expense any longer, the government has requested financial help from the U.K. Ministry of Defense.
Negotiations are underway that will almost certainly lead to U.S. funding. A British official said requests for connectivity support needed to counter the invasion would be considered. A Pentagon spokesman, however, confirmed late October rumors.
Starlink connectivity cannot compete with terrestrial connectivity in terms of speed, but the performance is sufficient for military communications and remote control of drones.