Starlink in Ukraine: How to connect, what are the costs, traps and pitfalls

In Ukraine, Starlink started working on the third day of the war with russia. Now there are more than 23,000 terminals operating on Ukrainian land, helping Ukrainians stay in touch despite the shelling and destruction of infrastructure.

Mind figured out how Elon Musk's satellite Internet works, who can use its services, how much it costs, how to connect and what to bear in mind.

Starlink is both a division of Elon Musk's SpaceX company and the name of the orbiting satellite network that provides wireless Internet. The development of the project began in 2015, launching the first prototypes into orbit by 2018. Since then, SpaceX has sent 3200 satellites into space and intends to increase this number to 42,000 by 2027. This is as many as needed to provide the entire planet with the internet, except for the South and North poles.

Musk's satellites operate in orbit at a 500 km distance from the Earth's surface. In the future, Starlink is going to gradually reduce this distance to minimise the signal delay. Starlinks interact with each other in orbit and work as go-betweens – transmitting radio signals from the ground station to the user terminal and vice versa.

The maximum distance between ground stations and users can reach a thousand kilometres.

The way Starlink works:

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The company has introduced the same price for all users, but there are exceptions.

The standard package of satellite Internet by Starlink costs $110 per month.  You also need to purchase equipment worth $599.

Data transfer speed and delay depend on the number of satellites and the distance to the nearest ground station. In eastern Ukraine, for example, the connection is slightly worse, because we do not have our own ground station. Polish or German is used to receive the signal.

The company offers other connection options. They are more expensive, but the speed and quality of equipment is higher than in the standard package.

For users of the Starlink Business plan, the monthly subscription fee is $500, and $2500 must be paid for the equipment. In this case the company guarantees Internet speed from 150 to 500 Mbps, which is provided by twice as powerful aerial.

The Starlink RV and Starlink Maritime special offers provide mobile Internet for travellers. However, they are currently not available to all users.

The RV solves problems with the Internet en route. This is possible due to the advanced GPS capabilities. So the aerial connects to more satellites and provides a stable connection anywhere. Subscription fee is $135, the equipment, $599.

The Maritime provides Internet at sea. This option is suitable for crews of merchant ships, employees of oil rigs in the ocean and owners of premium yachts. This is the most expensive offer with a $5,000 subscription fee and $10,000 cost of equipment that will work in all weather conditions.

Since the launch of Starlink in Ukraine, most of the terminals have been used by the military.

Starlink is currently used in hospitals, critical infrastructure enterprises, schools, fire stations, and government agencies.

Starlink also helps the military. For example, the Ukrainian Aerial Reconnaissance combat unit uses Starlink to monitor and coordinate drones.

It is not yet possible to buy Starlink in Ukraine directly due to the lack of a certificate. Full certification of the technology is expected after the victory.

You can connect to Starlink via the official website.

How to order satellite Internet Starlink:

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To achieve this you need:

• to indicate the address where you plan to install the equipment (country, city, street, postal code). The system will automatically check whether it is possible to do this at the specified location;
• fill in the form and pay a $60 deposit;
• wait for an email from Starlink, which will mention that delivery to your address is possible;
• pay $385 for the equipment;
• receive and install Starlink.

You can install the equipment on your own. Detailed instructions are included in the package.

1. Install the antenna in an open area, free of trees and other buildings.
2. Connect the cable to the antenna.
3. Connect the system to the grid.
4. Download the Starlink app to your smartphone (available in Google Play or AppStore) and wait for the connection.

Sometimes Ukrainians buy used terminals on eBay. In so doing, it is important to get access to the account. Otherwise, the terminal will not work.

You also need to consider the actual version of the firmware (permanent software – Mind). The last update was in March this year. If your terminal's  firmware is older, the equipment will not work in Ukraine either. This happens if the seller has not used the terminal for a long time or has not unpacked it at all. In this case, you need to activate the equipment in the country where it is registered and leave it for 24 hours. During this time, the firmware will be recovered and nothing will interfere with your work in Ukraine.

By the way, thanks to the March update, Starlink in Ukraine has adjusted to the needs of Ukrainians. Previously, Starlinks were not used as mobile access points, but worked only at the place of activation. Now roaming works in Starlink.  One terminal can be transported and used at different locations and even while travelling.

A new shape of terminal was also introduced. Since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has been supplied with stock models of round shape. New rectangular terminals consume less energy and do not heat up as much. When it comes to the quality of the Internet, both versions work equally.

The military prefers the round terminal. Other equipment can be connected to it via Ethernet cable. In the new modification there is no port for the cable – only Wi-Fi hotspot. Using Wi-Fi at the front is dangerous because detection by the enemy is highly probable.

Starlink expectedly has its pros and cons.

There are more pros:

• access to the Internet where other providers are powerless;
• the average speed of Starlink is 130 – 150 Mbps. This is enough to work remotely, use search and even watch movies online;
• the equipment does not require a lot of electricity, and can be powered by a generator, solar panels and even a car cigarette lighter;
• Starlink is easy to install and simple to use. It does not require special knowledge and skills;
• satellite communication is reliable. It cannot be hacked, disconnected or blocked;
• the company's pricing policy is flexible. Currently, the cost of Starlink in Ukraine is twice lower than in the rest of the world;
• the software is regularly updated and takes into account previous shortcomings. For example, to protect Ukrainian terminals from russia's attempts to jam the signal, programmers have improved the software code.

Among the disadvantages we mention:

• the cost of services is rather high for many Ukrainians. It is known that the price will not decrease even when more satellites appear in orbit;
• Starlink speed in Ukraine is lower than in other European countries due to the lack of its own ground station. There are plans to build the one after the end of the war;
• enemy intelligence can determine the location of terminals during their operation. In early March, Musk advised on Twitter to turn on Starlink only when necessary and to place the aerial away from people;
• adverse weather conditions can interfere with operation. And while the terminal can melt snow that falls on it, it is powerless against snow piling up around it and other obstacles blocking the satellite's line of sight.

In 1957, the first satellite appeared in space, and there were 8500 of them  by 2019.

During 2021 alone, Starlink launched 60 additional satellites every two weeks during Falcon 9 flights. Now there are more than 3,200 Starlinks in orbit, and by 2027 there will be 42,000.

Starlink satellites reflect light as well, which obstructs astronomers' ability to explore space. It should be noted that Starlink is trying to reduce the brightness of its satellites through light-absorbing coating and special visors.

The lifetime of Musk's satellites is five years. So there is a permanent need to put new ones into orbit and again clutter up the space.

• Starlink Ukraine was registered in Ukraine on April 27, when 1000 terminals were already operating in our territory. The company received an operator's licence in early June.
• By the end of 2022, Starlink will be installed in Ukrainian trains.
• Unlike other satellites, Starlink works using laser technology. Since lasers can travel at the speed of light, it provides an extremely fast communication process.
• The name Starlink came from the book "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green.
• SpaceX is the only company on the planet that has a reusable Falcon 9 rocket. It is a launch vehicle that delivers up to 22,800 kg of cargo into space.
• In 2018, Musk said that Starlink will provide SpaceX with the income necessary to realise the company's space ambitions – founding a base on Mars