Rapid Fire
Starlink and Eutelsat
- 06 Mar 2025
- 1 min read
Ukraine’s military and civilians rely on Starlink for communication, but SpaceX’s restrictions on its use for attack drones have raised concerns. As a result, Eutelsat, a European satellite company, is being considered as an alternative.
- Starlink: Developed by SpaceX, it is a satellite-based internet service designed to provide high-speed, low-latency connectivity, especially in remote areas.
- Starlink's around 7,000 low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites form a mega-constellation, ensuring global coverage.
- India has not approved Starlink due to security, privacy, and pricing concerns, along with opposition from the local telecom and satellite industry.
- Eutelsat: Eutelsat, Starlink’s closest competitor, operates 630 LEO satellites and 35 geostationary satellites, offering speeds up to 150 Mbps.
- India lacks widespread commercial satellite internet, but the Telecommunications Act, 2023 provides for the assignment of spectrum through an administrative process for satellite-based services, whereas terrestrial spectrum is allocated through auctions.
| Read more: Starlink Project |
