Ukraine is in desperate need of a new satellite internet service, but a fast and reliable alternative to Elon Musk's Starlink network simply doesn't exist - yet.
asserted
alternative → exist → network
Last week's sudden slowdown of the service in Ukraine, which affected Kyiv's ability to defend itself from Russian attacks, has shown how vulnerable the country can be, and sharply increased Europe's urgency to have its own military-grade satellite network.
There are a few alternatives, but they are all lagging behind Starlink, which is the world's largest satellite constellation.
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which → affect → Starlink
France's Eutelsat, with its OneWeb internet service, is the main alternative - but it only has about 600 active satellites, compared to Starlink's 10,000-plus.
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it → have → 10,000
The EU is working on a new network to rival Starlink, Iris², however it won't be up and running until 2029.
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it → work → 2029
For Ukraine's troops on the ground, several of whom spoke anonymously to the BBC, reliable connectivity is the difference between life and death.
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connectivity → speak → life
"God forbid they shut it off completely, it would be an absolute catastrophe," said one.
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one → forbid → it
"I don't give a damn how much an alternative costs when our lives are on the line.
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lives → give → line
For now, Ukraine's best bet is to join Govsatcom, the EU's satellite sharing network - but it cannot be used for military warfare like controlling drones.
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it → join → drones
Why does Starlink dominate in Ukraine?
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Starlink → dominate → Ukraine
Starlink and its military-grade service, Starshield, are both owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX company and have dominated the global satellite market for years.
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Starlink → own → years
Ukraine relies on Starlink for communications on the battlefield and Starshield for military purposes like drone warfare.
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Ukraine → rely → warfare
The network is able to provide fast, real-time connectivity, which is crucial for defence and intercepting Russian attacks.
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which → provide → attacks
"You can't employ drone warfare without this kind of high-speed internet connection," said Vincent Tourret, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations.
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Tourret → employ → Relations
Last week's slowdown, which has only just been restored, highlighted the risks of relying on a US provider at a time when tensions between Kyiv and Washington continue to deteriorate.
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tensions → restore → Kyiv
"Ukraine's defence cannot depend on Trump's or Musk's whims," French MEP, Christophe Grudler, tweeted.
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Grudler → depend → whims
Who authorised the Starlink restrictions is still not clear, with a confusing blame-game ongoing between the Pentagon, Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
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game → authorise → Pentagon
While Starlink has been one of Ukraine's greatest assets in this conflict, the "flipside of that dependence" has been exposed, explained Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS.
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Bingen → expose → CSIS
"This is a critical military capability that Ukraine relies on, but doesn't control.
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Ukraine → rely → that
"
Starlink is not the only satellite network Ukraine can access, so if it goes down there are other options - but experts say they aren't as fast, and troops the BBC spoke to, agree.
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BBC → access → ?
Starlink "gives us the upper hand when it comes to passing commands - even one or two seconds are critical when we can transfer data and orders faster, and you can really feel that advantage on the battlefield," a soldier said.
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soldier → give → battlefield
The terminals used to connect to the satellites are also an important factor.
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terminals → use → satellites
Starlink's are relatively small and lightweight, so they can be fixed to any kind of vehicle or drone.
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they → fix → vehicle
Eutelsat's terminals "are slightly larger, so they can be fitted on the roof of a car, or on tanks, but they can't necessarily sit on small drones," said Eva Berneke, former CEO of the French satellite company.
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Berneke → fit → company
They are also about five times more expensive, she added.
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she → add → ?
What can the EU offer right now?
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EU → offer → What
Rhetoric from the White House - like Donald Trump's scathing criticism of Nato and his threats against Greenland - have given the EU "some pretty brutal alarm bells", Berneke told the BBC.
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Berneke → give → BBC
She had only been at Eutelsat for a month when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and said she noticed a marked change in urgency from European authorities, as they looked to her company to help plug holes left by Starlink if it could not be relied upon.
uncertain
it → launch → Starlink
Comments from Elon Musk have further heightened the need for an alternative: "Be quiet, small man...
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Comments → heighten → alternative
there is no substitute for Starlink," he tweeted, external at Poland's foreign minister last year, when the politician said he would "look for other suppliers" if SpaceX was unreliable.
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SpaceX → be → suppliers
Europe has realised its security depends on space, and it must "strengthen its satellite capacities, urgently," a spokesperson for the European Commission told the BBC.
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spokesperson → realise → BBC
Right now, it has Govsatcom, a network that was set up in January to share existing satellites between EU member states.
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that → have → states
Ukraine is not a full-fledged member (although it is trying to become one), but the Commission is in talks with Kyiv to join Govsatcom.
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Commission → fledge → Govsatcom
But even if Ukraine could connect tomorrow, the network could not be used for warfare operations like piloting drones, which Starshield is used for.
uncertain
Starshield → connect → which
That could change by the start of next year, however, when the European Commission hopes commercial companies, like Eutelsat's OneWeb, will join the programme.
uncertain
companies → change → programme
This will give Ukraine some - but not all - of its military network needs.
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This → give → needs
Eva Berneke told the BBC she is confident the company will be able to "support quite a lot of Ukraine's key military needs".
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company → tell → needs
But meeting its communications needs is another thing, because as is the case with most countries, they are varied and massive.
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they → meet → countries
Eutelsat could not comment on Govsatcom, but told the BBC that "as the only European operator of a fully operational [Low Earth Orbit] constellation, we are committed to providing resilient connectivity to the businesses, governments and communities we serve".
uncertain
we → tell → businesses
No timeline has been given for when Ukraine will be able to join the Govsatcom network.
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Ukraine → give → network
When it does it will likely be as a reliable back-up to Starlink and Starshield.
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it → do → Starlink
…and 30 more, not listed.
The Aporia
