Starlink is to stop offering its free internet service to the conflicted country of Ukraine, especially as the company already operated mostly out of its own pockets which caused them $80 million. Private funders and donations were already spent to keep the service up for Ukraine's needs, especially as it saw a massive advancement with the famed satellite internet's availability.
However, in the future operations of Starlink for Ukraine, it may need to tap the United States Pentagon for funding, or it may ask for payments.
Starlink to Stop its Free Internet for Ukraine, 'Unreasonable' for Musk
(Photo : Win McNamee/Getty Images)
SpaceX and Starlink are reportedly trying to ask the US Pentagon for additional funding for its operations in Ukraine to provide the country with the satellite internet service it needs. Musk said that Starlink is not trying to recuperate the amount it spent from its pockets to help Ukraine get back on its feet and have reliable internet for their access.
However, the tech CEO said that it cannot fund the internet service on its own, indefinitely, especially as either side is not backing down from the other in the present.
Starlink is continuously sending terminals and operating in the country without asking them for much, but continuing further without the funding it needs is "unreasonable," says Musk.
SpaceX is not asking to recoup past expenses, but also cannot fund the existing system indefinitely *and* send several thousand more terminals that have data usage up to 100X greater than typical households. This is unreasonable.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2022
Starlink Needs Pentagon for Ukraine Service
The top billionaire claimed that Starlink's operations in Ukraine now have cost the company a massive $80 million, and it did not come from any payments from Ukraine or private entities. Only a small percentage was paid to the company from donations.
Bad reporting by FT. This article falsely claims that Starlink terminals & service were paid for, when only a small percentage have been.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2022
This operation has cost SpaceX $80M & will exceed $100M by end of year.
As for what’s happening on the battlefield, that’s classified.
However, if this is to continue, it will cost Starlink more than $100 million by the end of this year. With that, reports now claim that SpaceX and Elon Musk are tapping into the US Pentagon for funding to continue their efforts.
Starlink and Ukraine
The famous satellite internet service from Elon Musk played a significant role in helping Ukraine earlier in the year, and it is from its CEO's pledge to help their cause and the country affected by the war that Russia brought. The efforts began in April this year, sending terminals to the country to receive the internet signals and positioning its satellites for a strengthened connection.
Musk and Starlink's efforts helped Ukraine get back online, especially with key areas and cities like Irpin to reconnect to the modern world.
Additionally, Ukraine is heavily reliant on Starlink's internet after Russia attacked their communication and network which initially rendered the country helpless and unavailable to contact the outside world. The attacks kept Ukraine in the dark, but help from many countries and companies gave Ukrainians a chance in these trying times.
However, Ukraine already cost Starlink and Elon Musk a lot from their operations from April until the present, and it needs an additional budget for the company to continue its operations. Starlink is trying to tap into the Pentagon for its needs and funding to continue its help for Ukraine, something Elon Musk and the company cannot do alone.
Related Article: Ukraine's Vice PM Thanks Starlink for Help to Restore Connections After Missile Attack from Russia
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Written by Isaiah Richard
