Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov reports that as of Friday evening 30 thousand Starlink terminals have already been deployed in Ukraine. “30 thousand Starlink terminals are already in Ukraine. The 24/7 Mincifra team is working to provide even more terminals. International partners are helping with this. After all, Starlinks have become part of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Thanks to them Ukrainians remain in touch where the usual network does not work during a power outage, “- Fedorov wrote in a telegram.
He specified that the last batch – 8 thousand terminals – Ukraine was helped to purchase by Poland.
“Hundreds of Starlinks from this batch are already working in the Points of Inconsistency across the country. Another part has been handed over to power engineers and medics. Yesterday I stopped by to protest the satellite Internet in one of the POPs from the State Emergency Service in Irpin”, – said the Minister.
He thanked Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Secretary of State for Digitalization Janusz Cieszynski for providing terminals to Ukraine.
“Special thanks to the National Telecommunications Institute and Orlen. Thanks to you millions of Ukrainians stay in touch!” – Fedorov concluded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed laws No. 8196/8197 on assistance in restoring Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which, in particular, cancel VAT and customs duties on imports of generators and other power equipment, as well as Starlink satellite systems for the period until May 2023.
As people’s deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak (faction “Voice”) wrote in his Telegram channel, the laws will come into force three days after publication, according to his calculations, January 2-3, 2023.
“Of the main innovations: the importation of generators, other equipment, Starlink without duty and VAT is introduced at the legislative level. Including for individuals. The norm will be valid until May 2023,” – wrote Zheleznyak.
As it was reported, the Verkhovna Rada passed the bills № 8196/8197 in the second reading on December 13.
The bills also exempt from VAT and duties on importation of equipment within the framework of technical assistance, mail and express consignments, and provide the opportunity to store fuel without a license in the amount of up to 2,000 liters, and more than this volume on the conditions of notification to the tax authorities on the declarative principle.
As previously reported by the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Daniel Hetmantsev, the purpose of the above bills is to introduce short-term incentive tax and customs incentives for the restoration of energy infrastructure.
The producer of tobacco products PJSC “Philip Morris Ukraine” in cooperation with DTF agency organized five social spaces “Spheres of the Sweet” with working areas in Kyiv, Odessa and Lviv, equipped with generators and Starlink satellite communication systems.
According to Philip Morris’ press service on Tuesday, the social spaces can keep you warm, recharge your devices, work and drink hot tea. They will be open until Dec. 30 and can accommodate about 100 people each at a time.
“We work for a large international company with offices and stores in many Ukrainian cities. Like all Ukrainians, we look for communication during blackouts, sit in shelters during alarms and worry if we can’t contact our families. We believe that resilient companies can help to survive a blackout together, so we organized autonomous stations with electricity, internet and heat”, – the company quotes the general director of “Philip Morris Sales and Distribution” Dmitry Zinchenko.
According to him, from the first days of the launch, social spaces have been very popular among city residents and help out in very unexpected situations.
“Employees of different companies during blackouts often make a field office with us. In Odessa, for example, during a blackout, girls from a nail salon nearby moved into the sphere. And in Kiev, our space even became a place for a wedding ceremony”, – added Zinchenko.
Social spaces are located in Kiev on Lesya Ukrainka Square, 1 (Central Election Commission) and Kontraktova square (near the Ferris wheel), in Odessa in the Park of enthusiasts (Akademika Zabolotnogo 66/2v) and in the Square “Ray” (Levitan 95a), and in Lviv on Vinnichenko Street 24 (Powder Tower).
Philip Morris International, which includes “Philip Morris Ukraine” is one of the world’s largest tobacco manufacturers. It operates in Ukraine for more than 20 years, owns a factory in the Kharkov region. Before the Russian armed invasion the company employed about 1.3 thousand people. Before the war, the factory was an export hub for more than 20 countries, in particular such major markets as Japan and Egypt.
The 1,570 Starlink system terminals handed over by Poland have already arrived in Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mikhail Fedorov said.
“This is especially important now, because there are problems with electricity due to Russian shelling. When the light disappears, mobile operators and Internet providers do not work in some regions. So let’s equip the country with public WI-FI hotspots where people can be connected,” Fedorov wrote in a telegram on Thursday.
He noted that some of the terminals will be given to civilian administrations in the de-occupied territories. “In addition, we will provide Starlinks “Ukrzaliznytsia”, so that passengers and employees have a stable mobile communication and Internet,” the minister stressed.
Fedorov specified that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion with the assistance of the Ministry of Digital from donors and partners Ukraine has received more than 20 thousand Starlink terminals.
“Of these, 5 thousand with the support of the Polish government. Now another 1,570 terminals from our strategic partners will help Ukraine stay connected. I thank the Polish government for its constant support and ZAMMLER group of logistics companies for the free delivery of the new batch of terminals to Ukraine,” summed up the head of the Mincifra.
JSC Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) has already tested a pilot project for installing Starlink satellite Internet on trains, Yuriy Shchigol, head of the State Special Communications Service, said in an interview with Liga.tech.
“When we contacted Starlink technical specialists after testing and showed how it works, even they were surprised that we were able to use Starlink in this way. According to its technical characteristics, it should not work at such speeds. But it works and provides services,” he said.
According to him, Internet from Starlink will be launched on Ukrzaliznytsia trains by the end of this year.
Shchigol noted that 12 thousand Starlink terminals are currently operating in Ukraine, which is about 20% of their total number in Europe.
Starlink Ukraine (Starlink Ukraine) received an operator license.
“The company has just been entered in the Register of providers of electronic communication networks and services at number 1. The representative office of SpaceX will soon begin active work in Ukraine,” Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov wrote in the Telegram channel.
According to the State Register of Individuals and Legal Entities-Entrepreneurs, Starlink Ukraine LLC was registered on April 27, 2022 in Kyiv. Its leader is Elena Kandia.
The founder of the Ukrainian company is Starlink Holdings Netherlands B.V. (USA), the ultimate beneficial owner is Elon Musk.
The authorized capital of Starlink Ukraine LLC is UAH 50.
