- Category
- Latest news
Ukraine Turns to Starlink and Fiber to Keep Blackout Shelters Online
- Authors
![Photo of Roman Kohanets]( "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
Ukraine’s government has changed operating rules for its “Points of Invincibility,” requiring each site to have grid energy-independent internet or Starlink terminals to keep people connected during power outages, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation on December 24.
The ministry stated that the requirement is meant to ensure Ukrainians can contact relatives, use digital government services, and receive essential updates from the State Emergency Service (DSNS) even during blackouts.
Every article pushes back against disinformation. Your support keeps our team in the field.
The ministry said a recent difficult electricity situation in Odesa showed that internet access at the sites was not always available, and that outages were often discovered through social media complaints rather than monitoring systems.
Under the updated rules, each site will be equipped either with xPON technology, which the ministry said can operate without power for up to 72 hours, or with Starlink satellite service in places without cable networks, and each point will receive a static IP address to enable automatic connectivity checks.
“Without connectivity ‘Point of Invincibility’ is a warm room. With the internet, it is access to government services, news, and coordination with emergency services,” the ministry concluded.
Meanwhile, Ukraine began piloting Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell satellite messaging, aiming to enable text communication nationwide even in areas without cellular coverage, reinforcing emergency and civilian communications.
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
-cb53eb291dd042c28eca76c8b62699a1.jpg "A Polish Air Force Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum aircraft performs a fly past on June 10, 2018, in Wolverhampton, England. (Source: Getty Images)")
