Eutelsat Orders 340 OneWeb Satellites From Airbus to Challenge Starlink

BizTrendWire Insight — Why it matters

By backing OneWeb with a massive new satellite order, Eutelsat is signaling that Europe wants a serious alternative to Starlink — one that can serve governments, defense and critical industries without relying on US-controlled networks.

Eutelsat has taken a major step in expanding its satellite internet ambitions after placing an order for 340 new OneWeb satellites with Airbus, strengthening its position as one of the leading challengers to SpaceX’s Starlink.

The move is aimed at significantly boosting the capacity and resilience of OneWeb’s low-Earth-orbit constellation, which provides broadband connectivity to governments, enterprises and remote regions around the world. Airbus, one of Europe’s largest aerospace groups, will manufacture the satellites as part of a long-term partnership with the Franco-British satellite operator.

Eutelsat has been pushing to accelerate OneWeb’s growth as global demand for satellite-based internet continues to rise. From aviation and maritime services to defense and rural broadband, low-orbit satellite networks are increasingly seen as critical infrastructure.

The new satellites are expected to improve coverage, reliability and speed, allowing OneWeb to better compete with Starlink, which currently operates thousands of satellites in orbit and dominates the commercial satellite internet market.

Industry analysts say the deal highlights Europe’s determination to maintain a strong presence in space-based communications as geopolitical and commercial competition intensifies.