Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), called on European allies hesitant to partner with Elon Musk’s Starlink to choose between American and Chinese technology.
According to The Verge, on Tuesday, Carr expressed disappointment in an interview with The Financial Times (FT) regarding political factors influencing Europe’s long-term decision-making. He stressed that Western allied democracies must recognize the rise of the Chinese Communist Party as a genuine long-term threat.
Carr further stated that if one is concerned about Starlink, one should wait for the Chinese Communist Party’s version. That’s when you’ll have real worries. He added that although it would be ideal for Europe to have its satellite network, the more significant issue is that Europe faces a choice between the U.S. and China. Collaborating with Chinese satellite internet services would lead to more significant issues.
Starlink, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, is the world’s largest satellite network. It provides Internet and limited mobile connectivity through 7,135 satellites. Some European governments and companies recently paused negotiations to acquire Starlink services after Musk’s comment about possibly blocking Starlink access on the Ukrainian front.
Europe works on developing its satellite network, but France’s Eutelsat operates only a tenth of Starlink’s satellites, and its terminal costs are ten times higher, making it less competitive. Meanwhile, China’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator, Spacesail, owns 90 satellites and plans to launch 15,000 by 2030, potentially emerging as a strong competitor to Starlink.
