For many years, Ukrainian officials have suggested that they are Working on Starlink instead. But the truth is, there are not many options on the table.
One thing that is most discussed is Oneweb, a satellite media network owned by Eutelsat, a satellite operator in France. Like Starlink, this network is based on small terminals, on the ground and the total number of its constellations includes about 630 Earth orbit satellites, providing very high speed connections and lower delays. More than the orbit satellites at a higher height.
Joanna Darlington, spokesman for Eutelsat, said that Oneweb provided the scope of insurance across Europe and the technology was deployed in Ukraine to some extent, although she refused to share details. However, there are more than 40,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine, According to the reportTherefore, replacing that network with Oneweb replacement options cannot be done overnight. Maybe but it was not immediately coffee, he said Darlington. (The company declares the Oneweb insurance of Eutelsat in Europe, rival Starlink.)
While Starlink terminals are made by SpaceX, the Oneweb terminal is provided by third -party companies. We have stocks of the terminals we can deploy, he emphasized Darlington, although she added, someone had to pay for it.
Poland And USAIDAmong others, he has funded Ukraine's Starlink Network. Eutelsat is currently In negotiations with the European Union On a possible scale of Oneweb in Ukraine.
Although Oneweb has a promise, it is difficult to see Ukrainians, especially in battle conditions, which can be based on it like Starlink, Barry Evans, a professor of information system technical at Surrey University.
We had one (Oneweb station) at the university, and it was a pretty complicated process that was really connected and on the plane, he said. The terminals tend to be more bulky than Starlink and have the ability to move faster in a conflict area, he added that the Oneweb terminals can be implemented better at fixed positions on buildings, for example.
Quilty said that another challenge was the terminal for Oneweb, which costs thousands of dollars instead of hundreds of dollars (for Starlink), Quilty said. However, Oneweb is currently the only Viking option available to Ukraine as an alternative, he added.
That may change final. Amazon's Kuiper projectA rival of Starlink, Can launch the first satellites later this year. Finally, Project Kuiper will have Over 3,000 Satellite. But, Evans noted, Amazon is also an American company. If the US government puts pressure on domestic companies to leave Ukraine, the Kuiper project may not be used much in the near future.
The European Union is working The constellation of its own media satellitescalled Iris2. But they may not work until 2030 and will only have about 300 average oriental satellites. The size of a satellite constellation affects the speed of connection and the coverage it provides. Starlink, for example, has More than 7,000 The satellites in orbit, although the network may need A total of about 10,000 Before its insurance scope became really global. SpaceX has suggested it can be launched More than 40,000 satellitesIf authorized to do so by the United Nations International Telecommunications Union.
Andrew Cavalier, spatial technology analyst at Abi Research, a technology intelligence company, saying that he doubted that SpaceX would prevent Ukrainian from approaching Starlink, but now doubt about SpaceX's reliability is a call to wake up for countries using services, currently investing in their main development. Evans agreed. The situation of the Ukrainians brought it a little first, he said. People are very worried about the dominance that Starlink has.
In Ukraine, Ada Wordsworth said that she was not aware of any replacement that could easily replace Starlink.
With Russia seemed to have been encouraged late, she said that a sense of despair was being established among local people who returned home in villages near the front line. Many people have no other place to go.
When asked what she would say to Elon Musk, she answered: This is not a game. This is not a decision to be removed from bitterness or space, or some feeling of deformed power. This is a real human life.