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Europe is scrambling to help Ukraine find a viable replacement for Elon Musk’s Starlink.
As The Financial Times reports, four of Europe’s largest satellite companies are in talks with European leaders about how to shore up internet connectivity in Ukraine: France’s Eutelsat, Luxembourg’s SES, Spain’s Hisdesat, and Viasat, owner of the UK firm Inmarsat.
Ukraine has been heavily reliant on satellite internet service since the start of the war. Not only can internet infrastructure be easily damaged by the fighting, but the Russian military frequently uses “jamming” techniques that block connections. Ukraine’s digital minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, told the FT that about 40,000 Starlink terminals are in use across the country.
The news comes after reports surfaced last month that the US had threatened to cut off access to Starlink if Ukraine failed to agree to a deal giving it access to mineral resources. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk denies it, calling Reuters, which first reported the rumors, "legacy news liars" in a post on X.
Despite the importance of Starlink to Ukraine's infrastructure, Europe could still potentially provide a partial solution if Starlink access were cut off. The FT reports that “a patchwork” of European services owned by European companies could provide backup, such as for critical operations like government infrastructure or healthcare.
However, this approach would have significant limitations. Lluc Palerm Serra, research director at consultancy Analysys Mason, told the FT that none of these possible alternatives “can offer the level of supply that Starlink has.”
At present, Eutelsat is one of the small number of satellite networks that can provide functioning global internet coverage that can compete with Starlink. Its share price has skyrocketed since the high-profile public argument between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week.
Europe is making headway toward creating its own satellite internet infrastructure to reduce its reliance on Starlink, but it may be a long time before these plans come to fruition. The European Union plans to launch IRIS², its low-orbit satellite network, in 2027, but it is not expected to be operational until the early 2030s.
But it's not just European leaders who are concerned about the possibility of Ukraine losing access to vital connectivity. Grassroots efforts have emerged on social networks like Reddit and X in recent weeks, with people encouraging users to boycott Starlink if it cuts off access to the war-torn country.