The US Department of Defense is in talks with Elon Musk about the cost of Starlink Internet stations in Ukraine. However, the Pentagon also reported that the US billionaire’s satellite link was “not the only option” to maintain contacts with the embattled country.
Musk said Friday that his company, SpaceX, can no longer afford the thousands of Starlink stations in Ukraine. Last week, the world’s richest man revealed that the SpaceX operation had already cost $80 million, and that he expected that amount to exceed $100 million by the end of the year.
SpaceX has also asked the Pentagon to fund Starlink’s use by the Ukrainian government and military. The cost, according to Musk, is $120 million for the rest of this year and could rise to $400 million over the next 12 months.
A defense ministry spokesman said it was investigating what “other options” were available to keep Ukraine’s mobile phone networks and internet connections running.
Adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mishaglo Podoljak, responded on Twitter on Friday. “Whether you like it or not, Musk helped us through the most important moments of the war,” he wrote of the 20,000 Starlink dishes delivered. “Ukraine will find a solution to make Starlink work and we assume that the company will provide stable broadband connectivity until the end of negotiations.”
Also review. With this rocket, Elon Musk wants to go to the moon:
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