Elon tweets "Ukraine could use Starlink for free" But it's Elon, so who knows?

October 17, 2022 By Omal J

(Image Credit Google)

Elon Musk tweeted on Saturday that Starlink, a division of his rocket company SpaceX, will "continue to fund Ukraine's government for free." There's little doubt he's referring to a preference his company stated in September to no longer lose money on what had previously been Musk's signature PR achievement: providing wireless internet to Ukraine amid Russia's invasion.

The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 15, 2022

Millions of hardware kits were delivered to Ukraine by SpaceX in March. When Musk declared the move the previous month, there were concerns that it was merely a publicity stunt, and that Starlink would be of any use at all. But it turned out to be quite useful. Even more so. Also Read: Elon Musk: SpaceX Might Continue to Fund Ukrainian Satellite Service According to Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, the dishes took over after over 1,000 cruise missiles targeted Ukrainian energy and transportation infrastructure in October. Ukraine "quickly restored the connection in critical areas" with Starlink equipment, according to Fedorov, who added that "Starlink remains to be an essential part of critical infrastructure."

Over 100 cruise missiles attacked ?? energy and communications infrastructure. But with Starlink we quickly restored the connection in critical areas. Starlink continues to be an essential part of critical infrastructure.
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) October 12, 2022

SpaceX requested $124 million from the Pentagon to recoup some $100 million in losses and keep Starlink operational until 2022. The letter detailed a cost-sharing system in which governments such as the United States and Poland pay for the majority of the hardware while SpaceX manages internet connectivity. So Musk, with the world's highest personal net worth on most days, signaled on Saturday that his good deed will continue. Though not without a healthy dose of self-pity. elon musk

However, it is becoming increasingly clear that Musk's statements about his intentions — particularly on Twitter — are either jokes or genuine promises that amount to nothing, and the line between the two is becoming increasingly blurred. In 2018, he devised a hazy plan to rescue a boy's soccer team that had become trapped in a cave, but the submarine he provided proved inefficient. There is no indication that this will occur in the next 77 days. He also announced, rescinded, and re-announced his will to buy Twitter. So, if you rely on Elon Musk's generosity to keep your internet connection up and running, Musk's tweet is positive news. However, given the source, it is best not to get too relaxed.

By Omal J

I worked for both print and electronic media as a feature journalist. Writing, traveling, and DIY sum up her life.

Elon tweets "Ukraine could use Starlink for free" But it's Elon, so who knows?

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