Photo: @BlogUkraine via Twitter | Edited
After emerging as the savior of Ukraine in the first months of the war, Elon Musk backtracked, saying that SpaceX could not afford to keep the internet alive in the war-torn country. Musk wanted the US government to pay for the satellite internet services used by the Ukrainian Army, and it appears he won the argument. On Thursday, the Pentagon revealed it signed a contract with SpaceX to provide much-needed communication services to Ukraine.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Starlink internet services proved invaluable as the only communication line impervious to Russian jamming. Elon Musk was hailed as a hero in Ukraine, with the country's entire critical infrastructure running on Starlink internet. Musk later expressed concerns about the technology being used for military purposes.
He also said that SpaceX could not afford to provide these services for free to the Ukrainian government, especially as data usage was "up to 100X greater than typical households." Still, a day later, Musk tweeted that SpaceX will continue to fund Ukraine government "even though Starlink is still losing money."
Soon after, the US government and the European Union agreed to pay for Starlink internet access, although no further information was released. The measure was meant to ensure internet access is not restricted overnight, as it happened before when Musk had second thoughts about the Ukraine war.
At the time, Pentagon officials expressed disdain about Musk's back-and-forth stance, which made him look like someone who wanted to get more money out of this situation. Earlier this year, SpaceX announced that it blocked Ukraine from "weaponizing" Starlink by restricting satellite internet use for offensive purposes, mainly attack drones.
On Thursday, the Pentagon confirmed that it has agreed to purchase Starlink satellite internet terminals and services for use in Ukraine. The contract will ensure that the Eastern-European country has the communication capabilities it needs while fighting for survival against Russia. The Pentagon officials declined to offer additional details "due to the critical nature of these systems."
It's not clear when the contract was signed or when it entered/will enter into effect. Still, its very existence marks a victory for Elon Musk, who wanted the government to pay for the services offered to Ukraine. Russia has tried to cut off and jam internet services in Ukraine, including Starlink, although Elon Musk's network proved remarkably resilient. Still, playing the cat-and-mouse game with the Russian hackers has proven exhausting for SpaceX.
Musk's company previously said it paid for about 70% of the satellite internet services provided to Ukraine. It also offered the highest-level plan, at $4,500 a month, to all terminals in Ukraine, even though most were signed on the cheaper $500/month service. Around 20,000 Starlink terminals were active in Ukraine last October when Elon Musk announced that it didn't want to pay for the Starlink services anymore.
He also said that SpaceX could not afford to provide these services for free to the Ukrainian government, especially as data usage was "up to 100X greater than typical households." Still, a day later, Musk tweeted that SpaceX will continue to fund Ukraine government "even though Starlink is still losing money."
Soon after, the US government and the European Union agreed to pay for Starlink internet access, although no further information was released. The measure was meant to ensure internet access is not restricted overnight, as it happened before when Musk had second thoughts about the Ukraine war.
At the time, Pentagon officials expressed disdain about Musk's back-and-forth stance, which made him look like someone who wanted to get more money out of this situation. Earlier this year, SpaceX announced that it blocked Ukraine from "weaponizing" Starlink by restricting satellite internet use for offensive purposes, mainly attack drones.
On Thursday, the Pentagon confirmed that it has agreed to purchase Starlink satellite internet terminals and services for use in Ukraine. The contract will ensure that the Eastern-European country has the communication capabilities it needs while fighting for survival against Russia. The Pentagon officials declined to offer additional details "due to the critical nature of these systems."
It's not clear when the contract was signed or when it entered/will enter into effect. Still, its very existence marks a victory for Elon Musk, who wanted the government to pay for the services offered to Ukraine. Russia has tried to cut off and jam internet services in Ukraine, including Starlink, although Elon Musk's network proved remarkably resilient. Still, playing the cat-and-mouse game with the Russian hackers has proven exhausting for SpaceX.
Musk's company previously said it paid for about 70% of the satellite internet services provided to Ukraine. It also offered the highest-level plan, at $4,500 a month, to all terminals in Ukraine, even though most were signed on the cheaper $500/month service. Around 20,000 Starlink terminals were active in Ukraine last October when Elon Musk announced that it didn't want to pay for the Starlink services anymore.
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