Recently, Ukraine, together with SpaceX, implemented a Starlink terminal verification system. This decision was a response to a serious challenge: the enemy’s use of satellite technology to control its drones. To understand how these “white lists” work and whether it is realistic to completely block enemy terminals, Kyiv Independent journalists invited the Adaptis team to a conversation.
In the new issue, our CEO Anton Sadikov and Head of Service and Development Volodymyr Fursevich laid out the situation.
Why did verification become necessary?
Starlink terminals operate within the administrative borders of Ukraine, including the temporarily occupied territories and Crimea. When the Russians realized that they could activate terminals in the territories under their control, they began to use it en masse. Verification has become a tool that allows you to clearly track terminals that belong to Ukrainians from those that have fallen into the hands of the occupiers.
"The state took the right step at this stage of Starlink verification: that these are the Starlinks that are located on the territory controlled by Ukraine and that they belong to Ukrainians. Right now, the entire front on the enemy side is standing still — they have turned off all their technologies and this is a great result," Anton Sadikov noted in an interview.
First steps to counter the enemy
SpaceX’s first step was to introduce restrictions on high-speed internet. The system was set up so that when the speed reached 75–100 km/h, the internet simply stopped working. This was supposed to eliminate the possibility of using Starlink on drones.
However, simply limiting the speed was not an ideal solution, as our Armed Forces also use this technology on UAVs. That is why we had to look for other effective solutions.
It is safe to say that today a real technological war is underway in Ukraine, where the effectiveness of communication directly depends on precise technical solutions and network security. Although the verification process created certain inconveniences for some Ukrainian users whose devices did not immediately get into the "white lists", this contribution to the fight against the enemy is decisive.
The issue focused on the technical solutions we develop at Adaptis . We not only explained the importance of network protection, but also showed how our Starlink adaptations can be used to install it on vehicles. This solution allows for stable communication on the move and is critically important, in particular, for our military.
We also emphasized in the release that we are fully responsible for the verification process of all adapted Starlink terminals purchased before and after the introduction of new features to our customers. This means that if you purchased a terminal directly from Adaptis, you do not need to contact the ASCs to add it to the “white list”. Detailed instructions for Starlink verification are already on our blog.
It was important for Adaptis to share its experience in this issue of Kyiv Independent, as we work every day to ensure that communication is reliable for each of our clients.
What you will learn in the video:
In a conversation with Kyiv Independent, we touched on the most important issues surrounding this topic that are currently worrying users:
- How does the process of adding Starlink to the "whitelist" work: what is needed for this, who can verify terminals and in what quantity
- The impact of verification on the front and reasons why cutting off enemy communications is a strategic victory
- What is different about registering terminals for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, why is this process much faster and of higher quality?
- A practical demonstration of Adaptis solutions — we demonstrated our key product: a modified Starlink for cars, which, thanks to special adaptation, works even when driving at high speed, providing stable Internet anywhere.
