According to Mykhailo Fedorov, the minister of digital transformation in Ukraine, the thorny question of how Ukraine’s critical Starlink satellite internet should pay for has been resolved temporarily.
As the Russian invasion continues, some European Union countries have decided it is in everyone’s best interest to keep the country online. It was revealed in October that SpaceX had no arrangement to pay SpaceX for its service, aside from a burst in funding to get Starlink terminals in Ukraine.
The estimated 22,000 terminals sent to Ukraine at retail would run into the millions, but this is just an estimate. SpaceX applied for funding from the U.S. military, but SpaceX decided to continue without it.
Although this was presented as a charitable act at that time, it is possible to see other stakeholders beginning to make progress.
Deputy prime minister Fedorov explained to Bloomberg that all financial problems had been solved. He refused to give more details, stating that many EU countries had pledged support for at least the spring. With the infrastructure already stretched, the war-torn nation will not have to worry about winter.
Fedorov stated that there was a new arrangement to send more than 10,000 terminals. “We have received a nod for another shipment to stabilize connection in critical situations.” Satellite connections are the only option.
SpaceX has recently entered the defense contractor market with Star shield. However, that only applies to U.S. government contracts. The Starlink terminals from Ukraine come from both the consumer and professional sides of the business.
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