Ukraine worried about losing internet service following Starlink outages: report - The Hill

Ukrainian officials are acrophobic astir losing net work aft 1,300 of the military’s Starlink satellites went offline, CNN reported Friday. 

Starlink, the net work tally by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has been important to allowing Ukrainian communications passim the warfare with Russia arsenic Russian forces person destroyed overmuch Ukraine’s ain net networks. 

SpaceX’s manager of authorities income alerted the Pentagon past period that the institution could nary longer proceed to money Starlink work successful Ukraine, citing the projected outgo of $120 cardinal for the remaining months of 2022 and $400 cardinal for the adjacent year. 

Ukraine’s subject has utilized Starlink to pass with its forces and coordinate its defence effort crossed the country. The work has besides allowed civilians to enactment online and connected with the extracurricular world.

SpaceX was calling for the Defense Department to measurement successful and supply immoderate of its ain backing to enactment Starlink, but aft the petition prompted backlash Musk reversed himself and announced that SpaceX would proceed backing the work successful Ukraine.

But 2 sources acquainted with the outage told CNN that it has heightened fears that Ukraine volition suffer entree to Starlink’s net service. 

CNN reported that the outage began Oct. 24 and has been a “huge problem” for the Ukrainian subject according to a idiosyncratic briefed connected the situation. That idiosyncratic told CNN that the terminals had been disconnected due to the fact that of a deficiency of funding. 

SpaceX was charging Ukraine’s subject $2,500 per period to support each of the 1,300 Starlink units online, causing the full outgo to attack astir $20 cardinal by September, the idiosyncratic told CNN. They said the subject yet could not spend to wage the costs anymore.

The Hill has reached retired to SpaceX for comment.