French Operator Eutelsat Ready To Replace Starlink In Ukraine
- 6.03.2025, 14:47
In the next few months.
French satellite operator Eutelsat Communications SA said it is in talks with the European Union to replace Elon Musk's Starlink in Ukraine. The company has been operating in Ukraine for some time and is ready to completely replace the American Starlink in the next few months. This is reported by Bloomberg.
"Everyone is asking us today: 'Can you replace a large number of Starlink terminals in Ukraine', and we are looking at it," said Eutelsat CEO Eva Berneke.
According to her, the company is already operating in Ukraine and currently has thousands of terminals there, but not all of them are online. It is in talks with suppliers to provide military-grade and standard terminals, and it will take "several months" to provide 40,000. That's about how many Starlink terminals are used in Ukraine.
According to Berneke, Eutelsat will need financial and logistical support to quickly increase the number of terminals in Ukraine.
Eutelsat’s OneWeb network has more than 600 satellites in orbit 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) above the Earth. The 7,000 Starlink satellites are lower, at 550 kilometers (340 miles). A lower orbit means more satellites are needed to cover the globe and they have a shorter lifespan, but it also provides faster connections and is better for communications.
Shares in Eutelsat Communications SA have more than tripled this week, marking the French satellite operator’s biggest two-day gain in history, after European Union politicians pledged to boost defense spending and the U.S. suspended aid to Ukraine.
Eutelsat shares have soared 123% to €4.50 in recent days, and were up 97% at 1:31 p.m. in Paris. The gains come after a 68% rally on Monday.