4 European satellite firms are vying to replace Starlink in Ukraine

EU governments are in talks with four European satellite firms about providing a back-up service for Starlink in Ukraine, as the region pushes to boost tech sovereignty amid mounting transatlantic tensions. 

Starlink has provided a vital communications system to Ukraine’s military since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. It allows the armed forces to coordinate drone strikes, identify targets, and stream battlefield data to troops on the ground in real-time.

However, European leaders are increasingly concerned about relying on Starlink — fears stoked by a Reuters report that US officials had threatened to cut off the system in Ukraine if the country didn’t meet their demands on sharing its mineral wealth. Elon Musk, CEO of Starlink’s parent company SpaceX, refuted the claims. Nevertheless, the situation has raised doubts over the security implications of Ukraine — and broader Europe — relying on a single, privately owned network whose boss has direct ties to the Trump administration. 

In response, discussions with European alternatives to Starlink are in full swing. Leading the pack is French/British satellite provider Eutelsat. The firm’s CEO, Eva Berneke, confirmed to Bloomberg last week that it was in talks with the EU about extending its internet service to Ukraine. Berneke said Eutelsat was also in “very positive talks” with Italy, whose government is fiercely debating whether to pick Starlink to provide encrypted communications for government officials.  

Three other companies — the UK’s Inmarsat, Luxembourg’s SES, and Spain’s Hisdesat — told the Financial Times they were also discussing with governments and EU institutions about how to provide back-up connectivity to Ukraine. Miguel Ángel García Primo, CEO of Hisdesat, which provides secure satellite communications for governments, said his company had been contacted by several European officials.

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But replacing Starlink won’t be easy. Starlink is by far the largest satellite comms provider, with over 7,000 probes in low-Earth orbit and 40,000 terminals on the ground in Ukraine alone. 

However, Berneke was bullish on Eutelsat’s capabilities. She said that the firm could match Starlink’s terminal count in Ukraine “probably in a couple of months.” Eutelsat already has 2,000 terminals in the war-torn country.

Whether a Starlink back-up service would comprise a mesh of different operators or just one is unclear at this stage. Either way, these four companies likely present Europe’s best option right now to cut ties with Musk’s firm and put the region’s satellite communications in safer hands. 

Longer term, Europe has its bets placed on IRIS², a planned multi-orbit satellite internet constellation expected to switch on in 2030. There are also reports of an Airbus-Leonardo-Thales Alenia Space joint venture called “Project Bromo” that could challenge Starlink’s global dominance.