The head of the US communications authority calls on the EU to introduce 'Starlink,' urging them to 'choose between the US and China'
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As the EU seeks to secure an alternative to Starlink amid backlash against Elon Musk and uncertainty over whether Starlink will continue to provide satellite communications to Ukraine, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has reportedly warned European allies that they must choose between the United States and China.
FCC head Brendan Carr tells Europe to get on board with Starlink - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/fcc-head-brendan-carr-tells-europe-to-get-on-board-with-starlink/
Europe must choose between US or Chinese satellite tech, says FCC chair | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/649052/fcc-brendan-carr-starlink-europe-satellite-internet
'Our allied Western democracies need to focus on the real long-term threat: the rise of the Chinese Communist Party,' Carr told the Financial Times.
This comment comes as EU governments and companies are becoming more cautious about introducing and using Starlink after the US government threatened to shut down Starlink services in Ukraine.
Starlink, whose CEO is Musk, is the world's largest satellite constellation operator, with 7,135 satellites in orbit at the time of writing, and is also being
However, concerns about Starlink have spread among EU countries due to Musk's statement on X (formerly Twitter) that 'If we cut off Ukraine's access to Starlink, the entire Ukrainian front will collapse,' and the fact that the Ukrainian military's use of Starlink has actually been restricted.
SpaceX has restricted the use of Starlink by the Ukrainian military, with an executive saying 'there was no intention to weaponize it' - GIGAZINE
by Official SpaceX Photos
However, it is said that the EU will have a difficult time obtaining satellite communication technology to replace Starlink. For example, the leading candidate, French communications satellite operator Eutelsat, operates about one-tenth of Starlink's satellites, and the terminal fees are about ten times higher.
Meanwhile, Spacesail, a Chinese low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite company, currently has only 90 satellites, but is rapidly advancing its space development, planning to launch 15,000 satellites by 2030.
Carr, who was appointed FCC chairman by President Trump and is a longtime ally of Musk, has defended Musk's business, arguing that it faces 'regulatory harassment' in the U.S. Carr has also criticized the European Commission as 'conservative' and 'anti-American.'
'If you're worried about Starlink, wait until you get the Communist Party of China version, and then you'll really be worried,' Carr said. 'It's great that Europe has its own satellite constellation, and the more satellites the better, but in the broader picture, Europe seems to be caught between the US and China. Now is the time to make a choice.'
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