Berlin has been paying for Ukraine’s access to a satellite-internet network operated by France’s Eutelsat, as Europe seeks alternatives to Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Eutelsat’s chief executive Eva Berneke told this to Reuters, according to Ukrinform.
Berneke said the company has provided its high-speed satellite internet service to Ukraine for about a year via a German distributor. She added that this service was funded by the German government, but declined to comment on the cost.
Berneke said there were fewer than a thousand terminals connecting users in Ukraine to Eutelsat’s network, which is a small fraction of the roughly 50,000 Starlink terminals Ukraine says it has, but she said she expected the figure would rise.
“Now we’re looking to get between 5,000 and 10,000 there relatively fast,” she said, adding it could be “within weeks.”
Asked whether Germany would also fund that additional provision, Eutelsat spokesperson Joanna Darlington said the issue was under discussion.
“We don’t know yet how the EU collectively or country by country will fund efforts going forward,” Darlington said.
Germany’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
Eutelsat’s OneWeb division is Starlink’s main rival in providing high-speed internet satellite via low-Earth orbit satellites.
These sit at lower altitudes than traditional satellites, allowing them to transmit data extremely efficiently, providing high-speed internet for remote communities, seafaring vessels and militaries.
Earlier Reuters reported that American negotiators raised the issue of potentially restricting Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite internet system in the context of a minerals agreement.
Poland has stated that it has purchased Starlink terminals for Ukraine, pays for satellite internet, and will continue to do so, and therefore sees no reason to break the business contract, in which Poland is a party.
Following this, Musk denied any possibility of disconnecting Starlink in Ukraine. He also stated that he would never disconnect Starlink terminals for Ukraine.
Additionally, French satellite operator Eutelsat has confirmed it is in talks with European governments about providing additional satellite connectivity to Ukraine.
Photo: abcbourse.com
Source: Germany funds Ukraine's access to satellite internet – Reuters
