UK invests €163m in satellite rival Starlink
The UK is investing €163m in Eutelsat, a European satellite operator positioned as an alternative to SpaceX's Starlink.
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With the participation of the UK government, as well as French and private investors - including Bharti Space, CMA CGM and Fonds Stratégique de Participations - the total amount raised for Eutelsat's low-orbit satellite project has reached €1.5bn. The funding will be used to expand its satellite fleet and strengthen competition with players such as SpaceX's Starlink.
The deal is not just an investment, but a geopolitical move: London wants to regain its strategic influence in space after leaving the EU and failing with OneWeb, which was later merged with the same Eutelsat. Now Britain will get a 10 per cent stake in the merged structure and one seat on the board of directors. It's all being positioned as a way to strengthen "sovereignty in telecoms", but in essence it's an attempt to keep up with the technology race.
Eutelsat operates a group of low-orbit satellites and is building the Konnect VHTS network, which should provide high-speed internet throughout Europe and Africa. However, the project is not yet up to the level of Starlink in terms of coverage and number of satellites, but now it has British money, political support and clearly expressed ambitions to reach a competitive level.
Source: Eutelsat
