Eutelsat needs new investments to compete with Starlink

Satellite operator Eutelsat is to attract additional investment from European countries to strengthen its position in the confrontation with Elon Musk’s Starlink.

This was reported by Reuters, citing statements by MEPs.

• Eutelsat shareholders are expected to approve a €1.5 billion capital increase plan. Of this amount, France will invest €750 million, increasing its stake to 29.6%, and the UK will invest €163 million, retaining 10.9%. 

• Other investors will include Bharti Space, owned by Indian billionaire Sunil Mittal, shipping company CMA CGM, and the Fonds Strategique de Participations fund.

• French President Emmanuel Macron called on Germany and other EU countries to join the financing, calling it a matter of “European sovereignty.”

European Parliament member Christophe Grudler said that France’s support alone won’t be enough: “One country can’t carry the whole continent’s space ambitions.”

Support from France and Britain will reduce Eutelsat’s debt by €2.6 billion and finance the deployment of another 340 satellites.

About Eutelsat

Eutelsat is a French company and one of the world’s largest satellite operators. It provides telecommunications services, television broadcasting, and internet access.

Eutelsat has been in existence since 1977 and operates dozens of geostationary satellites (GEO) that provide telecommunications services.

After merging with the British company OneWeb in 2023, Eutelsat gained access to a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network capable of providing global coverage.

According to Reuters, the company currently has more than 650 satellites, while Starlink has nearly 8,000.

Replacing Starlink in Ukraine

Back in March 2025, it was known that Eutelsat was actively negotiating with the European Union to provide additional services to Ukraine.

According to a statement by the company’s CEO, Eutelsat already has thousands of terminals in Ukraine, although not all of them are connected to the network. The company claims that it can provide Ukraine with 40,000 terminals within a few months.

Approximately the same number are currently operating in the country through Starlink. However, even then, the company noted that it needed financial and logistical support to do so.

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