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Two satellite heavyweights are about to form a European rival to Starlink. But they\u2019ll face an uphill battle to compete with Elon Musk\u2019s firm.<\/span><\/p>\n Luxembourg-based SES\u2019 proposed $3.1bn takeover of Intelsat is set to get the green light from EU officials, <\/span>Reuters<\/span><\/a> reports. A final verdict is expected by June 10.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n SES first announced plans to acquire Luxembourgish-American rival Intelsat in April 2024, calling it a \u201ctransformational merger\u201d that could reshape the satellite internet market.<\/span><\/p>\n The merged company would have a fleet of more than 100 geostationary and 26 medium Earth orbit satellites. Intelsat would contribute 75 of those probes, which provide a range of services, including TV, radio, satellite internet, and secure communications for governments and militaries.<\/span><\/p>\n A SES-Intelsat tie-up would create Europe\u2019s second-largest satellite internet provider, after Franco-British firm <\/span>Eutelsat<\/span>. Smaller contenders include the <\/span>UK\u2019s Inmarsat and Spain\u2019s Hisdesat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Combined, Europe\u2019s satellite firms could offer the continent much-sought alternatives to Musk\u2019s Starlink or Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper, at a time when <\/span>tech sovereignty<\/span> is high on the political agenda.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n European leaders are increasingly concerned about relying on Starlink. Their fears have been stoked by <\/span>reports<\/span> that US officials <\/span>threatened<\/span><\/a> to cut off the system in Ukraine if the country didn\u2019t meet their demands on sharing its mineral wealth.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The situation raised doubts about the security implications of Ukraine \u2014 and broader Europe \u2014 relying on a single, privately owned network whose boss has direct ties to the Trump administration. Eustalstat, SES, Inmarsat, and Hisdesat <\/span>reportedly entered talks<\/span> with EU <\/span>governments in March about providing back-up connectivity to Ukraine.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the SES\u2013Intelsat merger creating a more formidable European player, the new alliance will still face a daunting challenge against Starlink\u2019s dominance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Musk\u2019s firm dwarfs its competitors in satellite numbers, with over 7,000 in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Its closest rival, Eutelsat, has around 600. Meanwhile, Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper is planning to deploy a constellation of 3,236 satellites.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Being part of SpaceX also affords Starlink direct access to satellite manufacturing and launch capacity. In contrast, SES and Intelsat depend on third-party launch providers and currently lack a proprietary low-Earth orbit network. While Intelsat has a $250mn agreement to access Eutelsat\u2019s LEO capacity, this reliance on external constellations puts the merged entity at a disadvantage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Even when combined with Europe\u2019s other players \u2014 including Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Hisdesat \u2014 the proposed merger pales in comparison. As European policymakers push for strategic autonomy in space, the SES\u2013Intelsat merger may be a step in the right direction, but it\u2019s still a far cry from a true Starlink rival.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n