UASAT is positioned as the «Ukrainian alternative to Starlink,» but in reality it is a satellite Internet service on a leased geostationary satellite with a high connection and traffic price. Because of this, the project is unlikely to become widespread, but it may be useful for government agencies and businesses that need a backup communication channel.
UASAT is positioned as the «Ukrainian alternative to Starlink,» but in reality it is a satellite Internet service on a leased geostationary satellite with a high connection and traffic price. Because of this, the project is unlikely to become widespread, but it may be useful for government agencies and businesses that need a backup communication channel.
Military expert and volunteer Serhiy Flesh explained in detail how UASAT works in a post on his Facebook page. He emphasizes that Ukraine does not have its own geostationary communications satellite, so the only realistic option is to rent capacity from international providers. UASAT uses HughesNet’s capacity and sells subleased resources to customers.
According to available information, current tariffs are up to 2,500 hryvnias for several dozen gigabits of traffic with speeds of up to 100 Mbps for reception and about 5 Mbps for return. A full-fledged «unlim» can cost over 20,000 hryvnias per month, which is significantly more expensive than typical Starlink use and immediately cuts off most household users and small units on the front.
UASAT terminals are assembled in Ukraine from imported components, adding Ukrainian satellite pointing mechanics and a local power supply system. The approximate cost of the kit is approximately $2,500. The satellite on which the service is based covers Ukraine with nine beams, and the antenna must be constantly pointed in an azimuth of approximately 240–270 degrees. Because of this, such «dishes» are clearly visible, they must be manually readjusted during movement, which makes the system vulnerable in combat conditions.
Among the disadvantages of UASAT Flash, he highlights the high price of services and equipment, bulky and noticeable antennas, as well as the increased signal delay inherent in geostationary orbits. Russian electronic warfare is also a separate risk: complexes like Tirada-2 can jam a satellite in the beam zone if it does not have a complex multi-beam and phased array antenna system, like Ka-SAT, which is used by the TOOWAY service.
At the same time, the expert emphasizes that it is critically important for Ukraine not to rely solely on Starlink. SpaceX cannot be considered a completely predictable partner, and any monopoly in critical communications infrastructure is a risk. Here, UASAT provides several important advantages: Ukrainian technical support, the possibility of local assembly of terminals, and the potential in the future to rent individual transponders or even an entire satellite.
In the end, Flash makes a cautious conclusion: UASAT will not become a «Starlink killer» and has limited use on the front lines, but as a local, politically less dependent satellite Internet provider for government agencies and large corporate clients, it can strengthen the resilience of Ukraine’s communications infrastructure in a long war.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how military analyst, engineer, and communications and drone expert Serhiy «Flash» Bezkrestnov proposed to the military an easy and affordable system for alerting the population about the threat from kamikaze drones. The idea is that communities can quickly warn people without expensive complex solutions.
