Ukraine is now using over 10,000 Starlink dishes to help bring the internet to war-torn areas across the country, according to a government minister.
“So, right now, it's more than 10,000 units in Ukraine,” Alex Bornyakov, the country’s deputy minister of digital transformation, told The Washington Post in a video stream on Tuesday.
According to Bornyakov, the Ukrainian government has been installing the Starlink dishes in areas hit hard by the Russian invasion. This includes the cities of Chernihiv and Mariupol, which the Russian military have attempted to take over.
“There was need for [supplying] military first and hospitals, but then we started to give them out to some enterprises because we need business running,” Bornyakov said. “We need companies to work, even in cities where it's in close proximity from Russian troops.
“So we're able to spread them equally and fulfill not just basic needs but also to those who are, as I mentioned before, want to conduct business, and this business is international or it requires instant communication,” he later added.
The fast rollout highlights how SpaceX’s Starlink system can quickly bring high-speed internet to a country facing a crisis. SpaceX began delivering the first Starlink units to Ukraine a month ago to help keep the country online amid Russia’s invasion of the country.
Starlink works by using orbiting satellites to deliver broadband to users, instead of relying on ground-based fiber networks. For the consumer, all that’s needed is a Starlink dish, which can be pointed to the open sky to receive high-speed internet.
“Now there are thousands of Starlinks in Ukraine, been using them for different purposes, even in a war zone,” Bornyakov said. “My personal experience is that the service has been great.”
Bornyakov also addressed whether the Starlink dishes may pose a safety risk. Last month, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk warned Ukrainians that the Russian military might decide to bomb buildings with visible Starlink dishes on them.
“Well, first of all, they're really small, and it's really hard to identify them,” Bornyakov said. “Second, I'm not sure. I can't be 100% sure, but I don't think Russians are able to trace them because they haven't been aware of this technology, and I think their equipment is not adjusted to trace Starlinks.
“Maybe something is going to change because it's war, and everything is changing rapidly,” he added. “But I know that there were no cases, and there was no evidence when there was some situation where using Starlink was a trap for someone near a battlefield."
Bornyakov also noted that Starlink has become a vital communication tool for Ukrainian soldiers.
Other areas in Ukraine away from the frontlines have been receiving internet through existing fiber networks. The country’s main telecommunication provider, Ukrtelecom, continues to face internet disruptions due to collateral damage from the fighting and Russian cyberattacks on local infrastructure. However, Bornyakov said overall the country’s broadband access has remained relatively stable.
“Maybe it’s just a little bit slower than what usually was before the war,” he said. “Of course, where there is a warzone there is no coverage.”