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US allies race to build Starlink alternatives after slowdown in Ukraine
Elon Musk's admission that SpaceX throttled Starlink service in Ukraine has given new urgency to efforts in Europe and Canada to build independent satellite networks, though most alternatives are years away.
Musk's admission that SpaceX deliberately restricted Starlink service used by Ukraine's military has accelerated efforts by Europe, Canada and other U.S. allies to develop their own satellite communications networks, according to The Wall Street Journal and other outlets. Ukrainian officials said speeds have returned to pre-restriction levels, but concern is growing about relying on a single private company for military communications.
The European Union's main answer is IRIS², a secure government satellite constellation. The European Commission has signed an agreement with the SpaceRISE consortium to expand the planned network from 282 to 348 satellites, but the full system is not expected to be ready until 2029. The EU also plans to bring commercial satellite capacity into its GOVSATCOM program from early 2027.
In Canada, Telesat's Lightspeed network is scheduled to enter service in early 2028 and to be available to allied nations, including Ukraine. Finland and Ukraine have announced a 300 million euro satellite project led by ICEYE and Nokia, with a first launch planned for 2028.
Starlink, with more than 10,000 active satellites in orbit, remains far ahead, and officials say Europe's existing capabilities cannot yet replace all the services Ukraine receives from it.
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