Ukraine will receive more than 10,000 additional Starlink terminals in the coming months thanks to a new agreement with SpaceX and funding from several European countries, Ukrainian government official Mykhailo Fedorov said in an interview with Bloomberg. Fedorov said that all financial problems have been resolved, at least until spring.
SpaceX had previously asked the Pentagon to fund the Ukrainian government’s and military’s use of Starlink broadband, saying it mightn’t afford to give away more user terminals or pay for operations indefinitely. But CEO Elon Musk backtracked on that position in October, writing: “Even if Starlink continues to lose money and other companies receive billions of taxpayer dollars, we will continue to fund the Ukrainian government for free.”
SpaceX has asked the Pentagon to fund the Ukrainian government and military’s use of Starlink broadband, saying the Elon Musk-led company can’t afford to give away more user terminals or pay for operations indefinitely. .
“We are unable to donate more terminals to Ukraine, nor fund existing terminals indefinitely,” SpaceX’s director of government sales to the Pentagon wrote in a September letter. The letter asked the Pentagon to take over funding for the Ukrainian government and military use of Starlink, which SpaceX said would cost more than $120 million for the remainder of the year and might cost nearly $400 million. dollars for the next 12 months.
On October 14, Musk defended this position: SpaceX is not asking to recoup past expenses, but neither can it indefinitely fund the existing system and ship several thousand additional terminals with up to 100 times greater data usage. that of typical households. This is unreasonable, he wrote on Twitter.
According to an article published by CNN during this period, approximately 20,000 Starlink satellite units were donated to Ukraine and the Ukrainian military requested 8,000 more in July.
Elon Musk : l’opration a cot plus de 80 millions de dollars SpaceX
SpaceX’s Starlink division sent satellite terminals to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of the country disrupted broadband networks, and internet access has been useful in Ukraine’s military operations once morest Russian forces. The United States initially provided $3 million to support this initiative.
Musk indicated in early October that only a small percentage of Starlink terminals and services have been paid for by outside sources and that the operation cost SpaceX $80 million and will exceed $100 million by the end of the year. anne.
According to the CNN article, SpaceX’s letter to the Pentagon indicates that approximately 85% of the 20,000 terminals in Ukraine have been paid for or partially paid for by countries such as the United States and Poland or other entities. These entities also paid regarding 30% for internet connectivity, which SpaceX says costs $4,500 per month per unit for the most advanced service.
The $4,500 per month figure seems to refer to typical fees for this level of service, rather than SpaceX’s actual costs to provide it.
SpaceX says it paid for regarding 70% of the service provided to Ukraine and claims to have offered that highest level – $4,500 per month – to all terminals in Ukraine, although the majority only subscribed to the cheaper service from $500 a month, CNN notes. The terminals themselves cost $1,500 and $2,500 for the two models sent to Ukraine, according to the documents, while consumer models on Starlink’s website are much cheaper and service in Ukraine only costs 60. $ per month.
SpaceX’s funding request irritates the Pentagon
The funding request appears to have sparked a dispute between SpaceX and the Pentagon. SpaceX’s demand that the US military foot the bill has upset senior Pentagon officials, with a senior defense official telling CNN that SpaceX has “the nerve to pose as a hero” while others are paying just as much. and he now presents them with a bill for tens of millions a month,” CNN wrote.
The Pentagon has publicly adopted a more measured tone. “I can confirm that the department has been in communication with SpaceX regarding Starlink,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said, according to the Financial Times. We are working with our partners and allies to try to determine what is best. There are certainly other Satcom capabilities that are available, she also said. It’s not just SpaceX, there are other entities we can definitely partner with when it comes to providing Ukraine with what it needs on the battlefield.
Some Ukrainians pay Starlink themselves
In the context of the funding dispute, some Ukrainians tweeted regarding how they and Ukrainian soldiers came to pay for Starlink service.
All the Starlinks I have seen/used were either bought by volunteers like me or by soldiers who put their own money into them. The subscription price is also paid out of pocket. In my charity fund @dzygaspaw, I purchased and delivered to the frontlines over 50 Starlinks, some of them are still paid with my credit card, now $60 each per month,” Dimko Zhluktenko wrote.
Even if Starlink continues to lose money… we will continue to fund the Ukrainian government for free
The next day, in a tweet, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced that satellite ISP Starlink would continue to provide internet service to Ukrainian forces fighting the Russian invasion as well as the country’s government. Damn even if Starlink continues to lose money and other companies receive billions of taxpayer dollars, we will continue to fund the Ukrainian government for free,” Musk tweeted.
Ukraine to acquire 10,000 additional Starlink antennas
Fedorov, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, said in an interview with Bloomberg that Musk assured us that he would continue to support Ukraine. When we had a massive power outage, I texted him that day and he responded immediately. He understands the situation.
We are ready to live without electricity for a month with at least a mobile network and SMS available, Fedorov said, referring to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. As far as the Internet is concerned, we have a lot of Starlinks, but the key point is that we have a nod for another delivery which will be used to stabilize the connection in critical situations.
Ukraine has received regarding 22,000 Starlink antennas since the country was invaded by Russia in February according to Fedorov. Support for Starlink satellite internet service was activated in Ukraine following a direct request to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on February 24 to quickly restore communications lost during Russian air strikes in areas where mobile networks are not available. There is no alternative to satellite connections, Fedorov said.
Starlink’s satellite internet service has been vital to Ukraine’s military amid disruptions to wireline broadband networks.
Governments partially funded Starlink for Ukraine
Although the US government has helped fund Starlink service in Ukraine, Musk wrote on October 7 that only a small percentage of Starlink terminals and services are paid for by outside sources.
The U.S. Agency for International Development purchased 1,508 Starlink terminals for Ukraine in March for regarding $3 million and delivered an additional 3,667 terminals which SpaceX donated, with the company paying for internet service for all terminals. a Foreign Policy report said last month. The Polish government paid regarding $5.9 million for Starlink services [en Ukraine]with support from Polish state-owned enterprises , and the UK also contributed, according to the report.
Ukrainian residents have also purchased Starlink terminals.
Fedorov told Bloomberg that Ukraine has received regarding 22,000 Starlink antennas since February, not including 10,000 expected to be sent in the coming months. He also described new financing agreements with European countries: “Although there is no contract yet, the governments of several European Union countries are ready to share the payment”, he said, refusing to identify them publicly. For now, all financial problems have been resolved, he said, adding that Ukraine will have to find additional funds in the spring.
Sources : interview, report de Foreign PolicyElon Musk (1, 2, 3)
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