Could Europe’s Eutelsat help to replace Starlink in Ukraine?

How crucial is Starlink to Ukraine?

Starlink users access the Internet for data or voice communication by using a small satellite dish to bounce signals off a constellation of satellites overhead.

Ukraine’s fixed-line and mobile networks have been badly damaged by bombing since Russia invaded in February 2022, and Starlink has helped Kyiv fill the void by sending tens of thousands of its dishes with terminals.

Some are made available to civilians, often trying to contact relatives on smartphones. But most are used by Ukraine’s armed forces, which also have to contend with heavy signal jamming and interception of communications. Ukrainian units often talk to each other via Starlink, and its services have become virtually indispensable for battlefield command and control.

Ukraine also used Starlink to guide attack drones until Musk’s rocket firm SpaceX curbed the practice two years ago.

Initially, SpaceX helped to fund the provision of Starlink to Ukraine. The US government then took over, though last month Poland said it had been paying Ukraine’s Starlink subscription and would continue to do so.

How does Eutelsat compare with Starlink?

Eutelsat already supports government and institutional communications in Ukraine, and can provide an alternative for certain government and defence applications, according to the company.

Since its merger in 2023 with Britain’s OneWeb, Eutelsat controls the only operational global-coverage constellation, besides Starlink, of satellites in low earth orbit (LEO).

Starlink’s more than 7,000 LEO satellites, suited to real-time communication, allow it to reach more users around the world and offer higher data speeds.

But Eutelsat says that even with only 630 or so LEO satellites, backed up by 35 linked satellites in higher, geostationary orbit, it offers the same capabilities as Starlink in Europe.

Starlink promises broadband at up to 200 megabits per second, Eutelsat 150.

OneWeb terminals, however, cost as much as $10,000, plus a monthly subscription. Starlink charges Ukrainian users a one-time payment of $589 in addition to a monthly subscription of $95-$440, depending on the usage.

Are there any other alternatives?

Luxembourg-based SES delivers some satellite services to NATO via its medium earth orbit constellation of O3b mPOWER satellites. But it prioritises corporate customers, governments and militaries, offering no direct-to-consumer services.