More than two months after Russian forces began to invade Ukraine, Elon Musk’s SpaceX is helping to keep a large number of Ukrainian citizens connected to the rest of the world through its Starlink satellite internet service.
According to data provided by Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s vice prime minister, about 150,000 people use Starlink every day.
Fedorov added that Starlink is providing “crucial support for Ukraine’s infrastructure and restoring the destroyed territories.”
Rough data on Starlink's usage: around 150K active users per day. This is crucial support for Ukraine's infrastructure and restoring the destroyed territories. Ukraine will stay connected no matter what. pic.twitter.com/XWjyxPQJyX
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) May 2, 2022
Those 150,000 people are accessing the service through the more than 10,000 Starlink terminals that have been sent to the country since February.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said in a press release last month that SpaceX had donated 3,667 terminals worth about $10 million.
All of this has taken place in a relatively short amount of time. Just days after the invasion began Elon Musk announced they had activated the service in the country.
Tesla has also sent Powerwalls to be used as mobile power units to keep Starlink running in the event of power outages. The company even created a useful how-to video on how to set them up using make shift cables and accessories.
