Starlink Rival Eutelsat Rolls Out Wi-Fi on Air Canada Planes

Eutelsat, the European rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network, has announced that it has begun providing onboard WiFi for both passenger and business aircraft, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Eutelsat is positioning itself as a politically neutral alternative as European companies express growing concern over Musk’s political entanglements. I Image: Eutelsat

The company is now delivering broadband connectivity to Air Canada aircraft as well as select corporate jet operators, it said in a statement. Eutelsat also noted it has “a backlog of over 1,000 aircraft scheduled for installation.”

As companies in Europe and beyond express growing concern over Musk’s political entanglements—particularly his advisory role to U.S. President Donald Trump—Eutelsat is positioning itself as a politically neutral alternative.

Fears that Musk could restrict Starlink service to Ukraine, where it is used by military forces fending off Russia’s invasion, have only heightened interest in the European firm’s offerings.

Still, Eutelsat depends on Musk’s SpaceX—Starlink’s parent company—for launching many of its low-Earth-orbit satellites.

Meanwhile, European airlines like Air France have already adopted Starlink connectivity. Starlink currently operates more than 7,000 satellites globally, while Eutelsat has fewer than 700 in low orbit.