The competition of Starlink intensifies in Ukraine.

Eutelsat, a French satellite communications company, has been providing internet access to Ukraine for almost a year, thanks to collaboration with the German government. Eutelsat's OneWeb division operates low-orbit satellites that enable communication with ground terminals to provide internet connectivity, similar to the service provided by SpaceX's Starlink network, which has been the primary satellite internet provider for the Ukrainian government.

During a conference at Eutelsat's headquarters in Paris, CEO Eva Berneke announced that Germany has been funding this initiative, although the specific amount of financial support was not disclosed. Currently, Eutelsat has fewer than a thousand terminals in Ukraine, compared to approximately 50,000 Starlink terminals, which have been largely funded by Poland and the United States.

Berneke indicated that Eutelsat could deploy an additional 5,000 to 10,000 terminals in Ukraine "within weeks." A spokesperson for Eutelsat, Joanna Darlington, mentioned that discussions are still ongoing about whether Germany or other financial sources will contribute to this expansion. Furthermore, Berneke highlighted that the company is in talks with the European Union as part of the SpaceRISE consortium, where efforts are underway to create a secure satellite constellation known as IRIS².

Eutelsat's expansion comes at a crucial time, as the relationship between the United States and Ukraine is becoming more complex under the administration of Elon Musk and his support for Trump. The head of defense for the European Commission, Andrius Kubilius, stated at a press conference that there are solutions prepared for "unexpected developments," though he did not elaborate on the nature of these alternative plans to Starlink.