Germany quietly funds Starlink alternative for Ukraine, Reuters reports

Germany has been financing Ukraine’s access to a satellite internet network operated by the French company Eutelsat, which serves as an alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink terminals.

Source: Reuters citing Eutelsat CEO Eva Berneke, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Berneke stated that Eutelsat has been providing high-speed satellite internet services in Ukraine for about a year through a German distributor, with the funding coming from the German government.

She declined to comment on the scale of the funding but noted that fewer than a thousand terminals currently connect Ukrainian users to the Eutelsat network.

"Now we're looking to get between 5,000 and 10,000 [terminals] there relatively fast," Berneke said, adding that this could happen "within weeks".

When asked whether Germany would finance additional terminals, Eutelsat spokesperson Joanna Darlington said the possibility was under discussion.

"We don’t know yet how the EU collectively or country by country will fund efforts going forward," Darlington added.

Berlin has not officially confirmed its funding for Ukraine’s satellite internet access. Germany’s Foreign Office did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Background:

• This Starlink alternative is being discussed in the context of a cooler stance from US President Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk towards Ukraine.
• The European Commission is considering how it can help Ukraine provide satellite communications amid reports that billionaire Elon Musk may cut off Ukraine's access to the Starlink network.

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