Lack of internet access is a major problem in many regions of the world today. Starlink was initially developed by the American tech billionaire Elon Musk to solve this problem. It was designed as a way of quickly getting the internet into regions all over the world where this was either impossible to do by conventional methods, or so expensive that it wasn't worth attempting.
Since then, Starlink's field of application has widened significantly. It's used as a means of communication in disaster zones, but also by armies or protest movements, for example in regions where the existing internet has been destroyed by enemy fire or shut down by authoritarian governments. But there is a downside: Ukraine's military, for example, is heavily dependent on Musk's satellite system.
This has become especially apparent as the service faces external disruption. Starlink, which is operated by Musk's SpaceX company, is a satellite-based system consisting of 10,000 small satellites located around the world. They transfer data packages via laser links and do not require a constant, direct visual link to a ground station.
Unlike other internet satellites, which orbit at around 36,000 kilometers (22,000 miles) above the Earth, Starlink satellites are only about 550 kilometers up. This means they can transmit internet signals much faster than the others. All users need is a small receiver terminal with an electronically controlled antenna, which automatically steers toward the satellites as they pass overhead.
The terminals receive signals from these satellites and transmit them to a nearby router, which supplies the broadband internet connection. Ukraine: Since the start of the Russia's full-scale war in February 2022, Starlink has become a vital instrument of communication in the war zone. The Ukrainian armed forces use Starlink to coordinate units, operate drones and control unmanned ground systems.
In the civilian sector, the system is used by hospitals, emergency services, energy suppliers and the railway network. Ukraine offers a particularly vivid example of how heavily its military capabilities now depend on Starlink. In mid-October, Ukrainian army units reported disruptions to data transmission, which are said to have severely affected the control of combat, interceptor- and reconnaissance drones.
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