Why Europe's Starlink rival is in talks with ISRO
What's the story
Eutelsat, the leading competitor to Elon Musk's Starlink in Europe, is in talks with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for future satellite launches. The development comes as part of Eutelsat's strategy to reduce its reliance on SpaceX and Europe's Ariane rockets. Jean-Francois Fallacher, CEO of France-based Eutelsat since last June, confirmed these ongoing negotiations to Reuters.
Merger impact
Eutelsat's reliance on SpaceX and Ariane rockets
In 2023, Eutelsat merged with OneWeb, a London-based satellite internet start-up. The merger came after UK and India's Bharti's intervention to save OneWeb. However, the combined group lost access to Russia's Soyuz rocket after Moscow invaded Ukraine. Since then, it has been depending on Musk's SpaceX and Ariane rockets for launches.
Market strategy
Fallacher's visit to India
Fallacher visited New Delhi in February as part of French President Emmanuel Macron's delegation. He met India's telecom minister and regulators to discuss market access. "We are preparing for the future, because launch capacity needs to be prepared very much in advance," Fallacher said. "India is a huge country ... so getting market access is strategic."
Satellite growth
Eutelsat's satellite operations
ISRO had launched 72 OneWeb satellites on its LVM3 rocket before the merger. These fridge-sized satellites offer high-speed internet services to governments and businesses. Eutelsat currently operates 650 satellites and expects to exceed 1,000 very soon. Airbus is building 440 satellites for the firm, while a planned OneWeb upgrade for the EU's IRIS2 project will also expand the fleet.