The European satellite operator Eutelsat is currently unable to fully compete with Starlink in Ukraine.

This is reported by Politico.

“If we had to take on all the necessary capacity for Ukraine, we would not be able to do that,” said CEO Eva Berneke. “However, we can meet key government needs.”

At present, Starlink provides critical connectivity for military, hospitals, and government bodies. In March, Elon Musk warned that “the entire front line would collapse” if Starlink were turned off in Ukraine.

The European Union is exploring options to diversify access to satellite communications, including through Eutelsat. However, the company itself admits that it currently cannot fully replace Musk's system.

According to Eva, the current dependency on Starlink can only be resolved “in the White House or at [Trump's private residence] Mar-a-Lago.”

The key issue is the lack of investment in low-orbit satellites. They provide fast communication with minimal latency, which is critical for the military and drones.

Starlink operates over 7,000 satellites, while Eutelsat has only 600. “I don’t think we need to come close to that number, but you might consider having at least a couple of thousand… to have a backup in critical areas,” Berneke added.

She also emphasized: “The last few weeks have shown that to ensure military and government communication, you need to have multiple sources.”

The company is currently in talks with the EU about funding new satellite launches and increasing the number of terminals for users in Ukraine.

Also read: Satellite Blackmail: What Happens If Starlink Is Turned Off in Ukraine

Reminder:

The German government has been covering the cost of Ukraine’s access to Eutelsat’s satellite internet for nearly a year, which also owns the OneWeb network.

Eutelsat has stated that it is in negotiations with European governments to provide additional satellite communications in Ukraine, as investors believe that the French satellite operator could replace Elon Musk's Starlink in the country.