For years, Ukrainian officials have said they were working on starlink options. But the truth is that there are not many options in the table.
The most discussed case is OneWeb, an Eutelsat satellite communication network, a satellite operator in France. Like StarLink, the network rely on small and ground terminals, and its total constellation consists of about 630 low -level satellites that have much speed and less delay than satellites at higher altitudes.
Joanna Darlington, spokesman for Eutelsat, says Oneweb offers a wide -ranging coverage in Europe, and the technology is currently partially established in Ukraine, though he refused to share details. However, there are reports that there are more than 40,000 starlink terminals in Ukraine, so replacing that network with Oneweb options cannot be done overnight. “This is possible, but not urgent coffee,” Darlington says. .
While the StarLink terminals are made by Spacex, Oneweb terminals are produced by third -party companies. Darlington emphasizes: “We have stocks of terminals that we can set up.”
Poland and USAID, among others, have helped to fund Ukraine’s use of the Starlink network to date. Eutelsat is currently negotiating with the European Union about the possible Oneweb scale in Ukraine.
While oneweb has promised, it is difficult to see how Ukrainians, especially in the battlefield, may say in the same way Starlink relies on, says: Barry Evans, a professor of information systems at the Syrian University.
“We have one [OneWeb terminal] At the university, and this is a very complex process in terms of connection and login. “The terminals are more bulk than Starlink and potentially become harder to move quickly in a conflict area,” he said. “For example, Oneweb terminals may be deployed in fixed locations in buildings.”
“Another challenge of oneweb terminals costs instead of hundreds of dollars [for Starlink]”Says Quilty. And yet, Oneweb is now” only option “that is easily accessible to Ukraine as an alternative option.
This may eventually change. The StarLink rival Amazon project, StarLink, could launch its first satellites later this year. Finally, the Kuiper project will have more than 3,000 satellites. But, Evans points out that Amazon is also an American company. If the US government puts pressure on domestic companies to move away from Ukraine, the Quiper project may not be used in the short term.
The European Union works on its constellation in satellite satellites, called iris2Human beings, however, may not be operational by 2030, and only about 300 medium and low air satellites. The satellite constellation size affects the connection speed and coating provided. For example, Starlink currently has more than 7,000 satellites in orbit, although the network may require about 10,000 before the cover is really universal. Spacex has suggested that it may launch more than 40,000 satellites if permitted by the UN International Communications Union.
Andrew Cavaller, a space technology analyst at ABI Research, a technology information firm, says he is skeptical that Spacex prevents Ukraine from accessing Starlink, but current doubts about Spacex reliability for countries that use the service, which may now grow their networks. Evans agree. “Ukraine’s situation has pushed it a little forward,” he says. “People are very worried about the starlink mastery.”
In Ukraine, Ada Wordors says he is unaware of any alternative that can easily replace Starlink.
Despite Russia, which is seemingly late, he says there is an overall feeling of despair among locals who have returned home to the villages near the front line. Many of them have no other place.
In response to the question of what he says to Elvan Mossak, he replied, “This is not a game. This is not a decision to be bitter or out of it, or a sophisticated power. This is the real life of the people.”
