Elon Musk brings Starlink to Ukraine

Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has caused unimaginable levels of catastrophe. Thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians have been slaughtered, whilst millions more have been displaced from their homes and had to adopt refugee status.

After the initial rounds of attack by Russia, most of the communication infrastructure in Ukrainian cities was completely destroyed. One major consequence of this is that the people of Ukraine have lost the ability to connect to the internet, depriving them of the chance to communicate with the outside world.

Thankfully, we now live in a cutting-edge era where newly developed modern technology can solve a variety of real-world problems. To combat climate change, innovative automotive manufacturers have fast-tracked the development of electric cars. When the pandemic forced gambling entertainment venues to close their doors, online facilities like the $1 deposit casinos nz were developed, so people could gamble at home.

So, when Ukraine issued a plea to the wider world to solve their internet crisis, Elon Musk decided to come to the rescue. Since the beginning of March, Elon has supplied thousands of his proprietary Starlink modules to the country, allowing citizens to connect to the internet through his SpaceX satellite network.

What is Starlink?

Starlink is one of Elon Musk's many incredible attempts to make the world a better place. In layman's terms, Starlink can be described as an internet satellite system. Whilst it sounds simple, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to suggest that this is a potentially revolutionary technology.

Historically, the factor which primarily determines the internet speed somebody is able to access is whether they live in an urban or rural environment. People who live in the depths of the countryside have usually drawn the short straw when it comes to internet speed. However, Starlink technology is capable of delivering a constant internet speed to any location on the planet.

After being rolled out at the end of 2020, the technology has been met by much fanfare. As such, Starlink has been in demand all over the world.

How does Starlink work?

Providing an internet connection through the use of satellites is not a new technology in and of itself. Rather than relying on thousands of kilometres of underground cables, internet data is relayed by radio waves being beamed through the vacuum of space.

The transmission of internet data is done by a two-step process. First, stations located on Earth broadcast signals to satellites that are located in earth's orbit. These signals are subsequently broadcasted by these satellites all around the planet.

Elon Musk's approach to the problem has been evolution rather than revolution. His company has improved satellite internet technology in two ways. Firstly, through the usage of low-orbit satellites, Starlink has reduced the distance between the satellites and Earth, improving speed and reducing latency as a result. Secondly, by deploying thousands of satellites, SpaceX is strengthening the resilience of the overall network.

Has Starlink worked for Ukrainians?

Absolutely. At the time of writing, the Starlink app was Number 1 within the Ukrainian app store. According to Musk himself, Starlink is the "only non-Russian communications system" that remains functional in some parts of Ukraine.

As of March 19th, the app had been downloaded 76,000 times, which represented a 260% increase from the preceding two-week period. Technology is unquestionably going to play a part in keeping the people of Ukraine safe and informed about the latest war developments.