Italy Is Getting Cold Feet Over Deal to Use Musk’s Starlink

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-05/italy-is-getting-cold-feet-over-deal-to-use-musk-s-starlink

Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.05-182341/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-05/italy-is-getting-cold-feet-over-deal-to-use-musk-s-starlink

The Italian government is having growing doubts about closing a €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink in light of the US pullback from commitments to European security, people familiar with the matter said.

Possible alternatives to Starlink for secure satellite-based communications to the government include Eutelsat Communications SA, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are confidential. Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, is also seen as an unreliable partner by some in Meloni’s administration, they said.

A spokesperson for the Italian government declined to comment. SpaceX, which owns Starlink, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

210 points · 15 comments · view on lemmy.world

15 Comments

meldrik@lemmy.wtf · 53 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Drop the deal and pick the European provider!

nul9o9@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 1y

The crybaby will threaten to sue, and the russian cock holster will try to retaliate on a private businesses behalf.

prude@lemmy.world · 36 pts · 1y

Pull out of the deal

marv99@feddit.org · 23 pts · 1y

Yes, please kill the Starlink deal.

rfr_Foglia@feddit.it · 21 pts · 1y

I'm italian and i really hope the deal doesn't go through.

green_link@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Ontario Premiere, Doug Ford, just ripped the provinces 100M starlink deal. italy can do it

Suoko@feddit.it · 6 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Italy is a bit bipolar ATM. Meloni is almost in love with Trump (same political view) but at the same time they're proud to sell their weapons to Ukraine.

I only see rotten brains all around.

pastermil@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 1y

I think she's just a self-serving opportunist, for better or worse.

randomname@scribe.disroot.org · 11 pts · 1y (4 replies)

Soon there willl be not just Eutelsat it seems:

Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile to provide space-based broadband in Europe

Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile have formed a new satellite service business called SatCo to provide secure space-based cellular broadband connectivity for customers all around Europe. With this, customers all over the continent, even in hard to reach areas, could access the internet on any of their devices [...] According to the current timetable, the new system is set to go live across Europe in 2025 and 2026. The system has already been tested by Vodafone, when, in January, it made a mobile video call in an area without any reception. Hopefully, this will cut down on the reliance of Starlink, and give European consumers more choice.

veroxii@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 1y (1 reply)

What's key with this plan is that AST SpaceMobile's satellites will work directly with 4G and 5G devices

That's actually pretty cool. And I'd say a competitive advantage. Everyone already owns a compatible "base station"

Suoko@feddit.it · 3 pts · 1y

https://www.vodafone.com/news/technology/vodafone-ast-spacemobile-world-first-space-based-5g-call-conventional-smartphone

An unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone.

LTE 4G. A game changer.

Suoko@feddit.it · 3 pts · 1y

https://www.vodafone.com/news/technology/vodafone-makes-historic-satellite-video-call-from-a-smartphone

A single gateway can serve the entire UK???

Suoko@feddit.it · 1 pts · 1y

Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org · 8 pts · 1y

"Cold feet" makes it sound like they're being dramatic. Like of course it's off the table now 😅

Protoknuckles@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y

Love this for him.