Elon Musk's SpaceX has delivered the first batch of Starlink Internet terminals to Ukraine, following a tweet from a government official asking when they would be available in the country.
Tesla and Starlink CEO Elon Musk tweeted to the Ukrainian president's office that "satellite internet will be much faster than terrestrial, so everyone can use it as they wish.".
Elon Musk recently challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to a one-on-one battle over the future of Ukraine. But the entrepreneur's real defense in the besieged country of Ukraine is his effort to keep Ukrainians online with Starlink satellite internet service missions.
According to its business plan, SpaceX plans to launch thousands of Starlink satellites in the coming years, with the ultimate goal of providing broadband internet to people around the world, even in the most remote areas. However, the Ukrainian official who contacted Elon Musk stressed that the Starlink satellites could be used for a much more urgent purpose: providing communication channels for the Ukrainian armed forces. In addition, their use could be expanded to the communication needs of its citizens, especially at a time when the country's critical infrastructure has been damaged.
Ukrainian officials report that “The quality of the connection is excellent” and “We use thousands of terminals with new arrivals almost every other day.”.
Ukraine has already received thousands of antennas from Elon Musk's companies and European allies, which has proven to be highly effective.
Using Starlink as a means of Internet access for citizens and the government to stay connected during an invasion is an important test of the relatively new technology, experts say. It could even be an important element in the future and evolution of warfare. The Internet has now become, in addition to being an essential tool for communication and information, a way to strengthen a country's offensive and defensive systems.
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, with a fortune worth $232 billion, is accustomed to turning to Twitter for bold promises and proclamations in the midst of global crises.
