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.
How Starlink works
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.
Starlink provides access to the Internet where it is technically difficult or impossible. Starlink differs from other satellite Internet providers by its own network of satellites. The company offers services in 39 countries, including Ukraine. Today, the number of Starlink users exceeds 700,000, including 23,000 Ukrainians.
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.
How much Starlinks cost in Ukraine
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.
Since August 24, Ukraine has received a special price: a $60 subscription fee and $385 for the equipment. The preferential price will be valid until the pricing policy is revised next time. The connection package includes a terminal (aerial), a Wi-Fi router and a 30-metre cable. For this money you will get the Internet at a speed of about 50 to 150 Mbps with 20 to 40 milliseconds of possible signal delay
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.
The RV and Maritime provide the ability to suspend and resume the service at any time and are billed after one month of use.
Who can use Starlink
Since the launch of Starlink in Ukraine, most of the terminals have been used by the military.
In early April, the National Telecommunication Networks Operation Centre announced that citizens are not allowed to use the technology, as it may interfere with the work of the military.
The statement caused a wave of outrage, because apart from servicemen, terminals came in handy to volunteers and IP providers in areas with limited coverage. Later, at the initiative of the State Special Communications Service and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, the national regulator allowed everyone to use Starlink for the period of martial law.
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.
How to connect Starlink
You can connect to Starlink via the official website.
To achieve this you need:
Delivery usually takes 2-3 weeks after receiving the email. Shipping costs are not included in the package. When the terminal arrives in Ukraine, it will be ready to work and linked to your account.
You can install the equipment on your own. Detailed instructions are included in the package.
What you need to know about updates, firmware and shape of the terminal
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.
SpaceX provides a transfer procedure when the terminal changes its ownership. To do this, you contact the seller with a request to initiate an account transfer to your email. Then you will receive a letter from SpaceX with detailed instructions on how to re-register the equipment.
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.
A common practice is to order equipment to a Polish address. This will help you get the kit and start working faster. But the activation procedure and 24-hour operation should also take place in Poland – at the place of delivery of the terminal.
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.
Features and bugs of Starlink
Starlink expectedly has its pros and cons.
There are more pros:
Among the disadvantages we mention:
Why Starlink outrages scientists
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.
Scientists believe that such a number of satellites in low-Earth orbit is a big challenge. They may collide with other satellites or spacecraft, which will cause an accident. It is impossible to predict where exactly on Earth the debris flying at enormous speed will fall.
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.
6 interesting facts about Starlink