Possible adoption of Starlink shakes Europe

Translated by Giulia Maffeis

The upcoming inauguration of the next U.S. President, Donald Trump, set to take place on January 20 in Washington, is drawing closer. Meanwhile, multiple tensions are already emerging due to the strong stances taken by the new American leadership—not only with historical rivals but also with its own allies.

This marks a significantly different course compared to the past, even from the somewhat recent Trump presidency. The shift begins with key figures, including one of the most controversial and iconic individuals of recent years: Elon Musk. Before being politically involved, he was one of the most influential entrepreneurs across various strategic sectors, such as automotive, renewable energy, space exploration, and telecommunications [1].

Being a charismatic yet highly divisive figure, never hesitating to take strong and provocative positions—an approach that has sparked even more controversy and disputes in recent times.

However, what makes him divisive is not only his persona but also the overlap between his business ventures and his increasing political involvement. This dynamic has been one of the driving factors behind a new internal crisis within the European Union. The debate over the adoption of the Starlink satellite telecommunications system—owned by Musk—by multiple European countries has led to significant tensions.

Starlink, a project developed by SpaceX, Musk’s flagship space agency, has been advancing and ambitious for years. The system revolves around using a network of small satellites in low Earth orbit, approximately 500,000 km from the surface, to provide global internet access with high security and ultra-fast data transmission.

Currently, the satellite network includes over 6,000 satellites, with a concrete goal of reaching 12,000. However, the system could potentially expand to as many as 42,000 thousand.

This strategy is helped by the relatively low cost of small satellites compared to larger ones placed in high orbit, as well as by the use of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, which are largely reusable—significantly reducing launch costs.

Beyond the technical aspects, Starlink is considered an extremely valuable and functional tool, to the point of becoming nearly essential from a strategic and military standpoint. Its high performance and ultra-low latency (20-40 milliseconds compared to the 500-700 milliseconds of traditional systems) enable near-instantaneous communication, a critical factor in the management of modern military operations. Furthermore, it offers highly secure encrypted operations, a particularly delicate feature nowadays.

These advantages have led several European countries to consider adopting Starlink, including Italy. After Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Mar-a-Lago to meet with President-elect Trump, reports showed about a potential €1.5 billion agreement for implementing the system. Although this news was later denied, it caused a heated national and EU-wide debate. The issue escalated to the point where the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, intervened, stating during a visit to Rome: “Starlink? It’s up to individual states to decide their providers.” [2].

This statement aimed to lower tensions while preserving internal EU stability, especially in the context of scientific cooperation, which plays a crucial strategic role for the future. The main example of this is the ambitious European project known as IRIS².

It is no secret that the EU is pursuing a major initiative—funded with approximately €10 billion—to address technological and communication vulnerabilities. The project involves launching 290 multi-orbit satellites.

However, the initiative already suffers from a significant delay relative to current needs, with its full operational deployment estimated around 2030. This delay will likely push many European states to adopt a dual approach: on one hand, accelerating the development of an independent European system through IRIS²; on the other, securing an interim solution—most likely Starlink—to address immediate demands.

Nevertheless, this approach requires careful considerations to mitigate potential risks, such as the control of sensitive data by a private company and the reliance on one single provider for a strategically vital service.[3]

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