March 3, 2022

Starlink dishes have finally arrived in Ukraine and they will be effectively used by the Ukrainian government and businesses.

They are used as backups when the war continues and the Internet falls to its lowest point in the country.

However, Alp Toker of NetBlocks cautions against seeing Starlink courts as a substitute for telephone networks and broadband.

“Starlink can provide connectivity by creating a personal hotspot for people who are in the vicinity of the device. So this is very useful for journalists, resistance groups or the elected government,” Toker said.

For Toker, the satellites will be useful in providing journalists and politicians with access to important information that they can send to the outside world. This should be the case when there is a blackout in Kyiv.

“Even if it’s only from the select few who have been chosen to receive these devices, it’s better than having a total absence of information,” Toker noted.

However, there are fears that the dishes could be targeted by Russian forces, with Ukrainian users warned to be careful while using the devices as Russia is known to target satellite communications.

For more information, read the original story in Reuters.