HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle

Can Elon Musk Keep Ukraine Online?

Views:940
@ReasonVids

There are technical and logistical hurdles, but satellite internet could one day offer an uncensored alternative for people living in war zones and authoritarian countries around the world.

------------------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ReasonTV?subconfirmation=1
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason

Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Go to reason.com for a point of view you won't get from legacy media and old left-right opinion magazines.
----------------

Since the Russian invasion began, Ukrainians have shared recipes for making Molotov cocktails and instructions for driving abandoned troop carriers. 

They've used encrypted apps to coordinate tactics and to ask Russians to stand up to their government, who in turn have staged protests in Moscow and other cities.

Though it may end up losing on the battlefield, Ukraine has been able to show the world the brutality and folly of the Russian attack, which is only possible because everyday citizens have retained access to the internet.

But maybe not for long: In areas with the heaviest fighting, internet outages are becoming common, and since information is power on the battlefield, there's a danger that Russia will find a way to knock the country fully offline.

This is why Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation tweeted a plea to Elon Musk, "We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand."

"Starlink service is now active in Ukraine." Musk tweeted back later that day, collapsing a regulatory process that can take months or years into under 280 characters.

The first obstacle is that Ukrainians can't just connect directly to Starlink satellites: First, they need ground terminals.

"…terminals en route," was how Musk finished his tweet, and less than 48 hours later, Fedorov replied with a picture showing a truckload of them in Ukraine, "Starlink — here. Thanks, @elonmusk"

Those terminals will need to be brought into cities under siege and connected to wi-fi, which will allow Ukrainians to connect their devices. That presents a challenge in the middle of a war.

And if terminals lose power, they'll need batteries or generators to stay online.

But if the terminals can be installed and maintained, Starlink could provide a digital lifeline to some Ukrainians. 

Can Starlink help make good on the internet's original promise to be a tool of liberation?

Using the power of the internet, everyday Ukrainians are coordinating their defense, appealing directly to Russian kinship and common humanity, rallying people to their cause, and showing the devastating cost of war. Starlink could help them to prevail in this battle.

Written and produced by Isaac Reese

Photos: Vlad Karkov/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire; Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via ZUMA Press; Jill Bazeley (CC BY-NC 2.0); Connie Zhou/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Connie Zhou/Google/ZUMAPRESS.com; Sergei Fadeichev/TASS; Raphael Lafargue/Abaca/Sipa USA; Gene Blevins/Polaris Images; Raphael Lafargue/Abaca/Sipa; Gene Blevins/Polaris/Newscom; Rafael Henrique / SOPA Images/Si/Newscom; Hennadii Minchenkoukrinform/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; KARLINER/VOT TAK TV/SIPA/Newscom; Vitaliy Smolnikov/Kommersant Photo / Polaris/Newscom; Gavriil Grigorov/TASS/Newscom; Sergei Savostyanov/TASS/Newscom; Sergei Savostyanov/TASS/Newscom

Music: "X" by Angel Salazar; "The City of Hope" by Borrtex; "Move Quickly" by Nick Kelly; "3 Hours" by Michael Vignola; "Fighter" by Tristan Barton

Thumbnail: Daniel Oberhaus (CC BY 2.0); Lafargue Raphael/ABACA/Newscom; Abaca Press/Lafargue Raphael/Abaca/Sipa USA/Newscom

libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
Thumbnail for Ukraine Crisis: U.S. Must Use Restraint1:26:08
Ukraine Crisis: U.S. Must Use Restraint
ReasonVids
808 views
Thumbnail for Take note that the nigger is not a bit worried with the man he killed. He's only thinking about his own fate.0:31
Take note that the nigger is not a bit worried with the man he killed. He's only thinking about his own fate.
AOUisgay
437 views
Thumbnail for All The President's Wars: How Foreign Policy Became One Man's Prerogative9:16
All The President's Wars: How Foreign Policy Became One Man's Prerogative
ReasonVids
914 views
Thumbnail for Greg Phillinganes on playing with Stevie Wonder #steviewonder #keyboards #piano #shorts | Rick Beato0:39
Greg Phillinganes on playing with Stevie Wonder #steviewonder #keyboards #piano #shorts | Rick Beato
invidious
91 views
Thumbnail for Haiti's Pepe Trade: How Secondhand American Clothes Became a First-Rate Business4:03
Haiti's Pepe Trade: How Secondhand American Clothes Became a First-Rate Business
ReasonVids
856 views
Thumbnail for Trump signs executive orders regarding FAA one day after deadly DC crash | NEWS CENTER Maine1:20
Trump signs executive orders regarding FAA one day after deadly DC crash | NEWS CENTER Maine
invidious
90 views
Thumbnail for Apple and Israel: Memory Holing Palestine and the Biblical Cities.0:58
Apple and Israel: Memory Holing Palestine and the Biblical Cities.
AOU
5851 views
Thumbnail for Xem Chung Kết VCS HVE vs TF 30.3.2025 #onlivevcs | Optimus1:42:22
Xem Chung Kết VCS HVE vs TF 30.3.2025 #onlivevcs | Optimus
invidious
83 views
Thumbnail for Who is John Galt? Behind the Scenes of Atlas Shrugged3:01
Who is John Galt? Behind the Scenes of Atlas Shrugged
ReasonVids
825 views
Thumbnail for The First Amendment Protects Freelancers, Too.2:52
The First Amendment Protects Freelancers, Too.
IJvids
911 views
Thumbnail for Bernie Sanders apoyó a regímenes comunistas, y aún es relevante16:53
Bernie Sanders apoyó a regímenes comunistas, y aún es relevante
ReasonVids
1017 views
Thumbnail for Capitalism vs. Slavery...and The New York Times' 1619 Project1:18:51
Capitalism vs. Slavery...and The New York Times' 1619 Project
ReasonVids
749 views
Thumbnail for Abortion & Libertarians: Nick Gillespie, Ronald Bailey, Mollie Hemingway & Katherine Mangu-Ward50:58
Abortion & Libertarians: Nick Gillespie, Ronald Bailey, Mollie Hemingway & Katherine Mangu-Ward
ReasonVids
914 views
Thumbnail for ЛЕВША И ЕГО ДРУГ КАРРО. Серия 66 | LeBwa4:14:15
ЛЕВША И ЕГО ДРУГ КАРРО. Серия 66 | LeBwa
invidious
92 views
Thumbnail for Live streamer stops an asian getting stabbed and robbed1:00
Live streamer stops an asian getting stabbed and robbed
bestofvoatxyz
1448 views
Thumbnail for Walt Disney Classic The Lion King VHS0:05
Walt Disney Classic The Lion King VHS
gggknezz123
303 views
Thumbnail for Is the US Abandoning Afghan Interpreters to Certain Death?5:41
Is the US Abandoning Afghan Interpreters to Certain Death?
ReasonVids
939 views
Thumbnail for Adherents of Junk Campus Rape Science Are Retaliating Against Critics4:29
Adherents of Junk Campus Rape Science Are Retaliating Against Critics
ReasonVids
7183 views
Thumbnail for Free the 'Shine! Why it's finally time to legalize liquor5:57
Free the 'Shine! Why it's finally time to legalize liquor
ReasonVids
907 views
Thumbnail for DETIENEN A ANDRÉS HURTADO 'CHIBOLÍN' - EN VIVO2:08:01
DETIENEN A ANDRÉS HURTADO 'CHIBOLÍN' - EN VIVO
invidious
179 views
Thumbnail for U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Montana School Choice Case3:24
U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Montana School Choice Case
IJvids
999 views
Thumbnail for NGANNOU SHOCKED THE WORLD!!! What Really Happened (Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou) | TheWeasle13:52
NGANNOU SHOCKED THE WORLD!!! What Really Happened (Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou) | TheWeasle
invidious
252 views
Thumbnail for A startled cat | FunnyMemeSpot0:07
A startled cat | FunnyMemeSpot
invidious
296 views
Thumbnail for thats why theyre gonna draft a bunch of illegals1:46
thats why theyre gonna draft a bunch of illegals
bestofupgoat
397 views

points

Permalink
Reply
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle