Musk Demands Pentagon Pay for Starlink Usage in Ukraine
October 14th, 2022Update: Made You Look, Musk Will Keep Starlink Active in Ukraine
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Via: PC Magazine:
SpaceX may have to stop providing Starlink terminals in Ukraine unless the US government steps in to cover the costs, the company writes in a letter to the Pentagon.
According to CNN(Opens in a new window), SpaceX wrote to the US Defense Department on Sept. 8 requesting that the US government start paying for Starlink access in Ukraine, which has become crucial to helping the country’s military fight Russian forces.
“We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time,” SpaceX reportedly told the Pentagon.
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However, the CNN report claims US and foreign governments already fund a large portion of the Starlink access in Ukraine—contrary to Musk’s past statements. SpaceX’s own letter to the Pentagon last month reportedly notes around 85% of the 20,000 Starlink dishes in Ukraine were paid, or partially paid, for by countries like the US, Poland, UK, or other groups, such as NGOs and charity organizations. These same governments and groups subsidized 30% of the internet access for Starlink in Ukraine.
