Ukraine will receive satellite communications aid from the Swedish company Satcube. It will send around 100 of its portable satellite internet terminals to Ukraine, the company’s CEO, Jakob Kallmer, told Swedish media. Germany will fund the aid. It will bolster Ukraine’s internet connection, including in the military, in addition to already used Starlink terminals.
The Satcube terminals can provide broadband connectivity via satellites operated by the US company Intelsat. Germany funded the $6 million purchase and will deliver the equipment. Satcube said its first terminals will arrive in Ukraine this summer but does not know if the military will use them. CEO Jakob Kallmer doesn’t object to use by the military. He also said the order is Satcube’s largest since starting production in 2017.
He said Ukraine noticed the company after aid groups and journalists used Satcube terminals there.
While slower than SpaceX’s Starlink, Satcube’s network may be harder to jam. Starlink has provided over 40,000 terminals in Ukraine but restricted military use in some areas, drawing criticism.
Securing modern communications is vital for Ukraine’s military and civilians as Russia tries to plunge liberated areas into isolation. Ukrainian troops also use satellite internet to plan and coordinate their operations.
