Elon Musk confirmed via Twitter that SpaceX would continue to fund Starlink internet services in Ukraine.
Musk tweeted the change in position earlier this morning:
The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 15, 2022
Last month, Musk requested that the United States Department of Defense start funding internet services in Ukraine.
However, the request seems to have gone unanswered.
Musk says the Ukrainian Starlink programme costs around $20 million per month.
In addition to terminals, we have to create, launch, maintain & replenish satellites & ground stations & pay telcos for access to Internet via gateways.
We’ve also had to defend against cyberattacks & jamming, which are getting harder.
Burn is approaching ~$20M/month.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2022
So far, SpaceX has spent around $80 to $100 million.
Musk noted on Twitter late last night that Starlink is the sole communication line the Ukrainian military can use.
Internet fiber, phone lines, cell towers & other space-based comms in war areas have been destroyed.
Starlink is all that’s left. For now.https://t.co/CdjbOWgziz
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 15, 2022
Only weeks after the invasion of Ukraine started, SpaceX stepped up to provide free Starlink services to Ukraine.
However, it is not sustainable, with $20 million per month and countless people’s hours spent on the service.
Even with the deep pockets of SpaceX, $20 million per month is a drain.
The easiest solution would be for a government or multilateral organization to pick up the bill, but we have not yet seen much action.
A potential solution that is a bit outside the box would be a request to the European Union instead of the United States to fund Starlink services.
Ukraine, of course, applied for membership to the European Union in February and is currently targeting entry in 2024.
