Can France's Eutelsat replace Starlink in Ukraine, CEO explains
Illustrative photo: Eutelsat CEO explained whether her company is capable of replacing Starlink in Ukraine (Getty Images)
Today, there is no alternative for Ukraine that could replace Starlink. At the same time, Eutelsat could "provide capacity for some of the critical use cases of government," Eutelsat CEO Eva Berneke says in an interview with Politico.
According to Berneke, working with Starlink is "a dependence" that can be resolved either in the White House or at the private residence of the US President.
Although it would be beneficial for Ukraine to have multiple alternatives in satellite communications, as Berneke explained, no one is ready to take on the challenge posed by SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk.
"If we were to take over the entire connectivity capacity for Ukraine and all the citizens, we wouldn't be able to do that. Let's just be very honest. But I do think we can provide capacity for some of the critical use cases of government," Eutelsat CEO explained.
Risk of Starlink restrictions
Currently, Starlink provides critical communication in Ukraine, helping Ukrainian soldiers, the government, and civilians maintain communication, including in combat zones.
In late February, as reported by the media, the US side raised the issue of potentially disconnecting the country from Starlink amid negotiations over rare earth materials.
Meanwhile, the European Commission is studying how to assist Ukraine in case access to the Starlink network is restricted.
