Elon Musk activates Starlink satellite service in Ukraine after Vice PM calls upon him
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Having your country invaded is hard enough, but imagine also losing your ability to connect to the world.
Mykhailo Fedorov, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, tweeted at SpaceX founder Elon Musk early on Saturday asking the billionaire to connect his struggling nation with the internet.
Within hours, Musk replied that the company's Starlink satellite internet service "is now active in Ukraine" with "more terminals en route."
Fedorov reaches out to Musk
"While you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people!" Fedorov's now-famous tweet said. "We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand."
@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand.
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 26, 2022
Musk responded a mere 10 hours after the plea however it still remains unclear how accessible the connection will be in Ukraine. The country seemed to be satisfied tweeting to Musk's response: "thanks, appreciate it."
thanx, appreciate it https://t.co/OWm2Yu2WKC
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) February 26, 2022
Starlink live
SpaceX's Starlink has more than 1,500 Starlink satellites currently operational that aim to provide high-speed internet service around the globe. Back in June of 2021, Musk had said his service would go global in five weeks and would reach those most in need.
"You can think of Starlink as filling in the gaps between 5G and fiber," had said Musk at the time, "really getting to the most difficult to reach three or five percent" of people in need of high-speed broadband internet. "We'll have 500,000 users within 12 months. It's growing rapidly, and we're continuing to [roll out] the user terminal."
It's good to see the CEO putting the service to good use helping an area in crisis just like he had promised to do!
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