As geopolitical tensions escalate and US-Ukraine relations become unstable, a new satellite system is emerging as a potential alternative to Starlink in Ukraine.
On March 10, Elon Musk's social network X suffered a large-scale cyber attack, leaving users in Asia, Europe and North America unable to access it.
According to Downdetector, at its peak, there were more than 40,000 reports of problems. Elon Musk suggested that the attack could have been carried out by a nation state or an organized group. In an interview with Fox Business, he revealed that the computers involved in the attack appeared to have IP addresses from the Ukraine region.
Earlier, after the White House argument between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, rumors emerged that Musk might cut off the Starlink satellite internet service he is providing to Kiev.
A potential replacement for Starlink has emerged: French satellite company Eutelsat. Eutelsat’s stock has surged nearly 390% in the past week alone, reflecting high market expectations for its ability to provide satellite internet services to replace Elon Musk in war zones.
Silent Rival
Eutelsat, one of the world's largest satellite operators, made a significant mark when it merged with British satellite company OneWeb in 2023, making it the third-largest satellite provider globally by revenue.
With a network of 35 geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites and more than 600 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, Eutelsat has a strong enough infrastructure to compete with Starlink – a service that is currently playing a key role in providing Internet connectivity to the Ukrainian military during its conflict with Russia.
Eutelsat has been in the spotlight recently amid political turmoil. US President Donald Trump has suspended military aid to Ukraine following a row with President Volodymyr Zelensky, causing relations between Washington and Kiev to deteriorate significantly.
Notably, reports from February suggested that the US could block Ukraine’s access to Starlink if the two sides failed to reach an agreement on rare earth mineral mining rights, prompting Europe, and in particular the European Union (EU), to look for alternative solutions to ensure satellite connectivity for Ukraine.
Golden opportunity
Eutelsat announced on March 4 that it is in talks with the EU to expand its satellite internet service to Ukraine. Eutelsat CEO Eva Berneke said in an interview with Bloomberg that the company is considering the possibility of replacing a large number of Starlink terminals in Ukraine.
“People are asking us, ‘Can you replace Starlink in Ukraine?’ And we are seriously evaluating that,” Berneke said.
Eutelsat shares had surged since March 3, just before the official announcement, when rumors emerged that the company might take on the role of Starlink’s replacement. By early this week, the stock was up more than 22% in Paris, reflecting strong investor confidence in Eutelsat’s potential in the current environment.
The challenges
Despite its significant infrastructure, completely replacing Starlink – a system with more than 7,000 LEO satellites and tens of thousands of terminals in Ukraine – remains a significant challenge.
Currently, Eutelsat is providing communications services to governments and organizations in Ukraine, but to scale up, the company needs financial and logistical support from the EU and equipment manufacturing partners.
Tensions escalated over the weekend when a debate broke out on social network X between Elon Musk, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
Musk claimed that “the entire Ukrainian front line would collapse” if he stopped providing Starlink. In response, Sikorski stressed that Poland was paying for the service and warned that he would find another provider if Starlink was not reliable. Rubio, meanwhile, denied any plans to cut Starlink, but the debate has only reinforced Europe’s determination to reduce its reliance on American technology.
While it is too early to say whether Eutelsat can completely replace Starlink, the move shows that Europe is moving closer to building an independent satellite communications system that will play an important role in ensuring connectivity for Ukraine.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/mang-xa-hoi-x-cua-elon-musk-bi-tan-cong-tu-ukraine-starlink-se-som-bi-thay-the-2379479.html
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