French satellite company Eutelsat, owner of OneWeb, a competitor of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system, may assist Ukraine if connectivity from Starlink is cut off.
‘We are actively working with European organisations and business partners to ensure the rapid deployment of additional user terminals for mission-critical applications and infrastructure,’ Reuters quoted a company statement as saying.
A European Commission spokesperson confirmed to the Financial Times that it was exploring possible ‘alternatives to Starlink in Ukraine.’
The Economist reported, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official, that Kiev was developing a backup option for Internet access in case of difficulties with Starlink. The publication notes that the Ukrainian military had to cope with problems after the invasion of the Kursk region (Starlink connectivity is not legally available in Russia), and used mobile technology and repeater drones to do so.
‘We have a variant that can be implemented in a few days, and a larger-scale solution in three months,’ the magazine’s source said.
He noted that the transition to other technologies would be complex and could deprive the Ukrainian military of a key advantage on the battlefield, including due to the vulnerability of other options for internet access to Russian electronic warfare.
The magazine notes that Starlink’s connectivity in Ukraine is paid for by Poland, but the U.S. still has control.
On 4 March, Fox News and Bloomberg reported that Washington had suspended the transfer of military aid to Kiev. On 22 February, Reuters, citing sources, wrote that the US was considering restricting Ukraine’s access to Starlink. But Elon Musk called the report false. The Ukrainian Defence Ministry said that the country had an alternative to Starlink.
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