MILAN (Reuters) – Billionaire Elon Musk is seeking to carve out a role in Italy’s telecommunications system by expanding his aerospace business Space X and satellite broadband venture Starlink.
Italy is evaluating potential supply agreements with Starlink, and Musk said on Monday that he is “ready to provide Italy with the most secure and advanced connectivity!”.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni has developed a strong relationship with Musk, a close ally of future US President Donald Trump.
Starlink, part of Musk’s SpaceX aerospace business, has 6,700 active satellites in low Earth orbit and is the dominant force in the sector, controlling nearly two-thirds of all active satellites.
It provides low-latency broadband access to more than four million users worldwide, of which around 55,000 are in Italy, the third largest economy in the Eurozone.
Here are the main projects being discussed:
SECURE COMMUNICATIONS
Italy is evaluating the use of Musk’s space-based telecommunications system to provide secure communications between the government, Italian diplomats and defense officials operating in sensitive areas across the Mediterranean.
Reportedly worth 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) and spread over five years, the project has been under discussion for months. This was announced in October last year by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani.
While confirming talks with Space X, Meloni’s office on Monday dismissed suggestions that it was the subject of talks during the prime minister’s surprise visit to meet with President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend.
These secure services offered by Musk would be a more immediate solution compared to the European satellite constellation IRIS2 (Iris squared).
The multi-orbit array of more than 280 satellites, which aims to provide an encrypted backbone for EU governments and public agencies, is facing cost overruns, funding problems, and full deployment is not expected before the end of 2030.
REMOTE AND UNAUTHORIZED AREAS
The Italian government is considering using Starlink services to increase internet penetration in the country’s most remote areas in response to slow progress by state-owned companies in publicly funded fiber deployment programs.
The government is preparing to test the space service as early as this month to see if it is a viable alternative to improve access to high-speed internet.
TELESPAZIO
Last June, Telespazio, a joint venture between Italian defense and aerospace group Leonardo and a French partner Thales (EPA:), have signed a joint venture to commercialize Starlink services.
Under the contract, Telespazio integrated Starlink into its existing network.
