SpaceX probed over Russia’s alleged Starlink use

Democratic lawmakers are investigating SpaceX over reports that Russia is using the company's Starlink satellite internet service in occupied areas of Ukraine, raising concerns about potential violations of US sanctions and export controls.

In a letter sent Wednesday to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Robert Garcia of California cited intelligence from Ukraine indicating Russian forces have illegally deployed and activated Starlink terminals in...

8 March 2024 | Networks

Musk says Beijing disapproved of Starlink’s rollout in Ukraine

According to Elon Musk, Beijing made clear that it disapproved of Starlink’s rollout in Ukraine.

Russia attempted to sever Ukraine’s connectivity in the early stages of its invasion. The aggressor even targeted satellite operators like Viasat, which spread to neighbouring countries and risked triggering a collective NATO response.

Starlink was quickly rolled out in Ukraine to help the country defend itself, ensure it doesn’t become isolated, and document Russia’s...

11 October 2022 | Legislation & Government

SpaceX sends more Starlink terminals to Ukraine but experts warn of targeting

SpaceX is sending another batch of Starlink terminals to Ukraine but experts have warned about potential targeting.

Ukraine has suffered intermittent connectivity as it defends itself from Russia’s invasion of the country. Some of the outages have been the result of damage to telecoms infrastructure itself, while others due to wider power outages.

Within the past few hours, NetBlocks – which tracks network disruptions and shutdowns – posted a particularly...

7 March 2022 | Broadband

Elon Musk: SpaceX’s internet service will go live in around six months

SpaceX founder Elon Musk says he expects the company's satellites to be delivering internet connectivity in around six months.

A private beta of the service is expected in around three months. The public beta, in around six months, will start with high latitude satellites.

SpaceX first launched its operational high latitude satellites in May 2019. The high latitude means connectivity may be intermittent and speeds will be relatively slow.

Last year, the company...

24 April 2020 | Rural Telecoms