Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office has denied reports that the supply of Starlink services from SpaceX was discussed during her recent visit to the United States.
The Prime Minister’s office said in a statement on Monday, “The Prime Minister’s Office categorically denies, and considers it ridiculous, that the topic of SpaceX was a topic during the meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump.”
Meloni made an unannounced trip to Florida on Saturday to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence before his inauguration on January 20. Bloomberg News reported on Sunday that Italy’s discussions with SpaceX, which had previously been stalled, appeared to be progressing after Meloni’s meeting with Trump.
The Prime Minister’s Office denied allegations that any agreements had been reached. “Communications with SpaceX are part of regular discussions that state ministries have with companies, in this case those that provide protected communications such as data encryption,” the office explained.
SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, operates Starlink, a satellite communications provider that uses a network of low-Earth orbit satellites. Starlink has been available in Italy since 2021, serving approximately 50,000 customers. However, its business remains modest in the euro zone’s third-largest economy.
Italy is reportedly considering Starlink services to improve internet access in remote areas, and address delays in the rollout of state-funded fiber optics. In October, the State Department also announced that it was evaluating the use of Starlink systems to enhance communications for Italian diplomats and defense officials in high-risk areas across the Mediterranean.
With approximately 60% of its 7,500 Earth-orbiting satellites, Starlink is a leading provider of low-Earth orbit satellite services, giving SpaceX a significant competitive advantage in global satellite communications.