French satellite communications company Eutelsat has revealed that it is working with Germany to deliver internet access to Ukraine, although it only has a few thousand terminals in the country compared to Elon Musk’s SpaceX which has provided the majority of satellite capacity through its Starlink service.
Eutelsat CEO Eva Berneke said Germany was underwriting the cost of the company’s service in Ukraine, and revealed it was considering a rapid expansion to provide 5,000 to 10,000 additional terminals “within weeks” to the country.
The comments come as US-Ukraine relations falter under the Trump administration, and European officials reveal they are looking at alternatives to Starlink in case “unexpected developments” occur.
SpaceX’s Starlink has faced criticism from some officials who have warned that it is difficult to shut down satellite internet services during military actions.