World’s richest man lends Ukraine a helping hand

Hectobillionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink satellite broadband service has been deployed in Ukraine, world media reported. Russia’s invasion disrupted internet access in the country, but Starlink will have more terminals there to compensate.

Musk tweeted in response to Ukraine deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who asked for his help:

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Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.

Fedorov pleaded:

@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars — Russia tries to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people!

Internet down in eastern and southern Ukraine

The Russian invasion has had a very adverse effect on internet connectivity in Ukraine, especially in the eastern and southern parts of the country, which have experienced the most severe conflict, internet monitors said on Saturday.

Satellite technology is costly

This type of technology is very expensive to deploy, but its benefits far outweigh that disadvantage. Isolated populations get internet access through it. Access would otherwise be impossible as fiber optic cables and cell towers can’t reach these areas.

When events like natural disasters disrupt communication, satellite technology is one of the few solutions.

To deploy Starlink in Ukraine, large groups of satellites operating in low-Earth orbit will have to ensure constant coverage. The height is around 340 miles.

According to data from January, Musk’s SpaceX has 1,469 active satellites, of which 272 are moving to operational orbits soon.

Previous uses of Starlink

In January, Starlink was used in Tonga, an archipelago in Oceania, after a massive eruption of an underwater volcano. It was used to connect remote villages. According to CNN, this was probably the biggest eruption in the world in over 30 years.

Russia and Ukraine to negotiate today

President Vladimir Putin has placed Russia’s defense forces, including nuclear forces, on high alert in response to NATO “aggression”. Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to hold negotiations in Belorussia this morning.

About Starlink

Using advanced satellites in a low orbit, Starlink enables video calls, online gaming, streaming, and other high data rate activities that historically have not been possible with satellite internet. Users can expect to see download speeds between 100 Mb/s and 200 Mb/s and latency as low as 20ms in most locations.