French Eutelsat may replace Starlink in Ukraine

This was reported by the Financial Times.

The operator began negotiations following reports that American billionaire Elon Musk could cut Ukraine off from Starlink. Reuters, citing its sources, wrote that U.S. negotiators are pressuring Kyiv to sign a mineral resources agreement, threatening a potential disconnection from Starlink.

Investors believe that the French operator could replace it.

Eutelsat, which owns OneWeb, stated that it has equipment that can be "deployed swiftly in Ukraine to connect the most critical missions and infrastructures."

The company added that its talks with European governments focus on using a combination of satellite constellations — OneWeb, which orbits at about 1,200 km, and Geo satellites at 35,000 km — to strengthen satellite communications in Ukraine and the Black Sea region.

Both types of satellites are capable of providing connectivity for Ukrainian drones.

Eutelsat noted that the timeline for deploying additional user terminals for critical missions and infrastructure depends on decisions by European member states regarding procurement and necessary infrastructure coordination.

OneWeb is already providing services in Ukraine through a German distributor, but its technology is outdated compared to Starlink. Starlink has over 7,000 satellites in orbit, while OneWeb has fewer than 700.

Eutelsat's stock surged by 80% on March 4, as traders anticipate that European leaders' efforts to support Ukraine and enhance its security will drive demand for the company’s services.

• Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski stated on February 22 that Poland will continue ensuring the operation of Starlink terminals in Ukraine.