Home / News

Ukraine’s Increasing Dependence on Starlink Sparks Concern Over Musk’s Unilateral Control

A Ukrainian Soldier Configures a Starlink Terminal. Photo Credit: Ukraine Military Center

Elon Musk’s satellite internet technology, Starlink, has become an essential component of Ukraine’s communication infrastructure, causing rising concerns among officials regarding their heavy reliance on this single source. Starlink, a product of Musk’s SpaceX, has been instrumental in Ukraine’s battle decision-making process amid the Russian invasion. Ukrainian officials, however, are growing anxious about the country’s dependence on the service and Musk’s authority to control its access, The New York Times reports.

Satellite internet technology delivers high-speed internet to even the most remote corners of the world, including war zones and areas affected by natural disasters. Starlink’s ubiquity is, in part, due to the frequency of SpaceX’s launches and the fact that there are currently more than 4,500 Starlink satellites in orbit.

Yet, Musk’s almost total control over the satellite internet and unpredictable behavior has sparked global concerns. He can shut down Starlink’s services to any customer or country, a privilege he has exercised multiple times in Ukraine during the ongoing war, raising security concerns.

The apprehension has intensified as no government or company seems to match the reach of Starlink. The U.S. Department of Defense and other nations’ militaries heavily rely on Starlink, while other potential satellite internet providers fail to match its capabilities. Musk’s allegiances and the information Starlink could potentially gather have amplified fears further.

Ukrainian officials are exploring alternatives but acknowledge that none can currently rival Starlink. Several countries have raised concerns about Musk’s power over the technology with American officials. However, little has been said publicly, mainly to avoid the risk of offending Musk.

By CircleID Reporter

CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.

Visit Page

Filed Under

Comments

Comment Title:

  Notify me of follow-up comments

We encourage you to post comments and engage in discussions that advance this post through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can report it using the link at the end of each comment. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of CircleID. For more information on our comment policy, see Codes of Conduct.

CircleID Newsletter The Weekly Wrap

More and more professionals are choosing to publish critical posts on CircleID from all corners of the Internet industry. If you find it hard to keep up daily, consider subscribing to our weekly digest. We will provide you a convenient summary report once a week sent directly to your inbox. It's a quick and easy read.

I make a point of reading CircleID. There is no getting around the utility of knowing what thoughtful people are thinking and saying about our industry.

VINTON CERF
Co-designer of the TCP/IP Protocols & the Architecture of the Internet

Related

Topics

IPv4 Markets

Sponsored byIPv4.Global

Cybersecurity

Sponsored byVerisign

DNS

Sponsored byDNIB.com

New TLDs

Sponsored byRadix

Threat Intelligence

Sponsored byWhoisXML API

Domain Names

Sponsored byVerisign

Brand Protection

Sponsored byCSC