USAID And SpaceX Provide 5000 Satellites And Internet Network For Ukraine

JAKARTA - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said Wednesday, April 6, that it has provided the Government of Ukraine with 5,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals in partnership with SpaceX, Elon Musk's internet company.

Starlink terminals help users connect to the internet through the company's satellite constellation without the need for a cable connection.

The US agency said SpaceX donated 3,667 terminals and the internet service itself, while USAID purchased the remaining 1,333 terminals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last month the country would get an additional Starlink terminal, after speaking with Elon Musk. Musk said in late February Starlink's internet service was activated in Ukraine.

Although expensive to implement, satellite technology can provide internet for people living in rural or hard-to-reach places where fiber optic cables and cell towers are not affordable.