Countries part of the European Union will provide financial assistance, but Ukraine will need new funding sources by spring 2023
Ukraine is set to receive more than 10,000 Starlink terminals.
The country’s deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov confirmed the news to Bloomberg. Several countries, part of the European Union, are ready to help pay for the service, he said.
The announcement momentarily puts an end to questions on how Ukraine could fund the satellite internet service. Starlink’s satellite internet terminals served as a vital source of communication when they first arrived in the country following Russia’s Invasion that destroyed Ukraine’s communications infrastructure.
But its presence was questioned this fall when SpaceX said it might stop funding the service. The company asked the U.S. to provide financial resources for the service.
“As of now all financial issues have been resolved,” Fedorov told Bloomberg. While he didn’t go into detail, Fedorov said it will need financial assistance by spring 2023.
Ukraine has received roughly 22,000 Starlink antennas since February.
“Regarding internet, we have a lot of Starlinks, but the key point is we have got a nod for another shipment that will be used to stabilize connection for critical situations,” Fedorov said.
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Source: Bloomberg