On January 7, 2025, Bloomberg indicated that Italy was considering an investment of 1.5 billion euros in the Starlink services to improve secure connectivity for government operations. The SpaceX Starlink constellation of 7,000 satellites in low -speed terrestrial orbit offers high speed and secure internet access to remote areas out of reach of traditional land networks. The news sent undulations to the European space community. After years of difficulty pushing its own initiative of secure connectivity, Iris2Through the finish line, Europe is now faced with the prospect of one of its largest economies turning to an American private company for critical infrastructure. Although Italy’s decision is probably driven by the need for reliable safeguard during natural disasters, a national outsourcing agreement with Starlink raises urgent questions about Internet sovereignty, economic independence and dynamics global power. When is the dependence on a foreign satellite network does it scramble the border between partnership and dependence? And when does a sovereign state risk becoming a customer state?
The assertion that Starlink, with its next Gen 3 satellites of 1 Terabit per second (TBPS), could transform each country into a customer state, is not eccentric. Each Gen3 satellite will offer impressive capacities, with a downward connection speed of 1 TBPS and a rising connection capacity up rising liaison of its predecessors (the current download speed of Italy is on average 83.5 Megabit -Per -Second, MBPS). By 2027, these high -capacity satellites should dominate the Starlink constellation, presenting a profitable alternative to traditional fiber optic networks for residential, municipal and commercial connectivity.
The fiber optical infrastructure, on the other hand, has long been considered the internet stallion for high speed due to its capacity of low latency and practically unlimited scalability. However, its deployment costs are substantial, especially in distant or rural areas. On the other hand, starlink satellite connectivity offers a profitable solution to provide high speed to poorly served regions. Elon Musk said that the cost of the “last kilometer” of fiber optics installations far exceeds the costs of deploying stations and starlink soil satellites. This is particularly true in the fields where the slicing and the installation of cables are logistically complex and economically prohibitive.
For example, the installation of the fiber optic infrastructure generally costs $ 3,000 and $ 4,000 per building in urban areas and much more in rural areas. In comparison, the rental capacity of Starlink is much cheaper, the costs that should fall more as generation 3 satellites deploy. The omnipresent starlink and a simple pricing model proposal allows municipalities and businesses to reassess the practicality of local fiber projects. This creates a scenario where Starlink’s Internet service disrupts the traditional calculation of infrastructure investment.
To assess the viability of Starlink to replace fiber optic networks, consider a hypothetical scenario where municipalities, residential buildings and companies around the world assess this option. Assuming that satellites of 1 TBPS from Starlink dominate its constellation by 2027, the Mega-Contestel service could offer better capacity at a more competitive price.
Each 1 TBPS satellite can support around 10,000 buildings with a peak demand of 100 Mbps to 20% competition. This is equivalent to around 200,000 satellite buildings to standard residential and commercial use models. If 10% of world buildings (a total of around 350 million) go to Starlink for broadband, the demand for advanced bandwidth would reach 7,000 TBPS. Responding to this request would require a fleet of around 7,000 generation 3 satellites. Deploying and maintaining a constellation of 7,000 satellites would cost much less than the installation of fiber infrastructure to connect 10% of world buildings . Starlink’s modular and evolving approach also allows rapid deployment, making it an attractive option for governments and private companies.
Currently, Starlink is mainly marketed for rural communities, maritime navigation and, more recently, military and defense operations – not urban areas. However, as we often see with SpaceX, which is true today does not necessarily define the future. The role of Starlink could evolve to include urban connectivity throughout the line. »»
Starlink’s proposal threatens to disrupt national telecommunications providers, which are often based on government grants to extend fiber and wireless networks. For most residential and commercial applications, including streaming, video conference and basic online activities, latency and Starlink bandwidth are “good enough”. This disrupts the competitive advantage of traditional suppliers and moves market dynamics in favor of satellite solutions. Exceptions exist for low latency applications such as high frequency trading and certain industrial automation processes. These specialized use cases can continue to require fiber optic networks or other ultra-up-lates solutions. However, for the majority of users, Starlink’s capacities are enough, which increases the possibility that it can become the default global standard for Internet connectivity.
Starlink stands out because of its unprecedented scale – its orbit fleet of 7,000 satellites offers global coverage and rapid connectivity. At a time of increase in geopolitical tensions, in particular with the tense relations between Russia and the complex diplomatic landscape with China, an independent and space -based communication network is considered a critical strategic asset. However, the generalized adoption of Starlink poses critical questions about national sovereignty. Unlike fiber optic networks, which are generally held and operated by local or national entities, the starlink infrastructure is fully controlled by SpaceX, a private American company designed to serve American civil and military interests while generating income.
Starlink can be available worldwide, but it is by no means a neutral platform. Starlink is controlled by Elon Musk, a figure whose political trends and decisions have often been polarizing and volatile. He undertook to offer the far -right party of Nigel Farage, Reform UK, potentially up to £ 100,000,000 to request his replacement a few days later, and he imposed unilateral limitations on Ukrainian military operations and temporarily stopped the services until the Pentagon intervenes with a good place contract. These episodes highlight the fragility of the dependence of a private player for national security.
Countries that are strongly relying on the high -speed star bond actually make control of a critical part of their digital infrastructure to an external and private entity. This dependence creates vulnerabilities that could be exploited during conflicts or geopolitical disputes. A recent example of what it could mean for Europe came during the recent speech of JD Vance at the Munich security conference, where he accused European governments of “censor citizens, to close the churches and D ‘Cancel the elections ”. His remarks have pointed out how the United States is ready to use its influence to shape European internal policy – and few tools are as powerful in this regard as satellite communications.
In a dystopian scenario where Starlink becomes the main skeleton for digital connectivity, each communication on the Internet – be it access to the independent press, personal cats or critical infrastructure – could be subject to control, limitation or to a pure and simple restriction. Beyond geopolitical risks, Starlink also operates outside of local telecommunications regulations, complicating efforts to enforce data sovereignty, net neutrality and national security policies. In addition, its generalized adoption could reduce national telecommunications providers, resulting in job losses and a reduction in competition.
In the end, governments must weigh the economic advantages of cheaper connectivity with the potential costs of industry disruptions. To determine the threshold where dependence on the star is “too much”, the countries must assess the following three problems:
- Critical infrastructure Reliance: a strong dependence on the internet by satellite for essential services such as public services, health care and education can expose these systems to vulnerabilities out of national control.
- Internal economic impact: The widespread adoption of the advanced link could have a significant impact on the interior telecommunications industries, requiring government intervention to support local providers and ensuring fair competition.
- Strategic autonomy: Depending on the star link can undermine the ability of a country to act independently on the world scene, affecting cybersecurity, data sovereignty and geopolitical lever effect.
The potential for Starlink de Spacex to disrupt traditional internet infrastructure is both a technological opportunity and a geopolitical challenge. By offering a profitable alternative to fiber optic networks, Starlink allows municipalities, businesses and governments to rethink their connectivity strategies. However, the centralization of control over such a critical resource raises profound questions about sovereignty and national security.
As the Gen 3 satellites of Starlink take place and its capacity develops, countries must carefully assess the compromises between economic efficiency and strategic autonomy. The key question is not whether Starlink is “good enough”, but rather dependence on a single system controlled abroad is too much. Return to these challenges requires a balanced approach that combines the advantages of satellite connectivity with guarantees to protect national interests.
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