Lviv IT Cluster and SpaceX are joining forces to help stabilize the country’s key infrastructures with reliable internet backup amid an invasion by Russia. In March 2022, Lviv IT Cluster purchased a large supply of Starlink terminals from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. On Tuesday, March 22, the first batch of Starlink terminals arrived in Lviv. Most of the terminals will reach critical infrastructure enterprises in Western part of Ukraine this week.
How Starlink works
The terminal connects to low-orbit Starlink satellites and transmits an Internet connection with a minimum latency as low as 20m through the nearest terrestrial gateway. Users can expect to see a download speed between 100 and 200 Mbps. It’s currently the most advanced satellite internet technology minimizing risks of cable internet damage. This technology is especially useful during a time of war when internet service is interrupted.
Although the availability of terminals is limited to a small range of countries through the official Starlink website, thanks to the direct contact of the Ministry of digital transformation with CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk, Starlink terminals were delivered to Ukraine in just a few weeks.
Who will get the terminals
Starlink terminals purchased by Lviv IT Cluster are not intended for resale purposes. We’re very grateful to Elon Musk for the most favorable purchasing conditions of a large batch. The amount of shipped Starlink terminals is sufficient to support critical and military infrastructure as well as IT business in Western Ukraine. All terminals ordered by IT Cluster companies will be handed over to strategically important enterprises and institutions such as electric utilities, medical system, rescue services, security system, power grids, transport hubs, government agencies, and much more.
“We are grateful to Elon Musk and his team for their prompt response to our request and comprehensive support of Ukraine amid wide-scale Russian military operations in the country. We’re also thankful to the Ministry of Digital Transformation for making Starlink available in Ukraine. Thus, our country is one of the first early adopters of this innovative technology in the world,” says Stepan Veselovskyі, CEO of the Lviv IT Cluster.
We are convinced that the country’s economy should operate even during the war. Ukraine’s IT industry has shown an unexpected pace of recovery, but it faces some challenges. One of them is the availability of internet backup source which makes it possible to support businesses in worst-case scenarios. Lviv IT Cluster’s member companies will have the opportunity to receive Starlink for their business needs that are important for both enterprises and to the whole IT industry.
Uninterrupted and reliable internet connection is key to business existence, further development of the IT industry in Ukraine, and timely fulfillment of obligations to foreign customers. Attracting such an innovative solution to Ukraine and directly cooperating with the leader of the tech industry, SpaceX, gives credibility to the international business community regarding doing business with Ukrainian companies.