Three sources familiar with the situation revealed Tuesday that Canadian satellite company Telesat has conducted initial discussions with Italian officials regarding the provision of encrypted communication services for government personnel, diplomats, and military officials working in dangerous locations.
The pursuit of satellite communication solutions has emerged as a particularly delicate matter in Italy following the breakdown of negotiations with Elon Musk’s Starlink service last year, highlighting increasing strains between European and American interests.
According to company information, Telesat currently manages 11 geostationary satellites and has plans to deploy between 150 and 200 low-Earth-orbit satellites starting this year to serve both commercial and military clients.
The unnamed sources indicated that Telesat officials engaged in preliminary conversations with Italian government representatives, though no financial terms were discussed during these early meetings.
According to one source, the most recent discussions occurred within the past month. A separate source noted that Italian officials have not yet provided any response to Telesat’s proposal.
When contacted, a Telesat representative stated the company could not offer any comments regarding the matter at this time.
Reuters previously reported that Rome had explored a potential five-year agreement worth €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) with SpaceX’s Starlink, which leads the industry with approximately 7,000 operational low-Earth-orbit satellites.
Low-Earth-orbit satellites function 36 times nearer to Earth compared to conventional satellites, resulting in reduced transmission delays and delivering superior, faster internet connectivity even in isolated regions.
