Telespazio, a joint venture between Italian defense and aerospace major Leonardo and French competitor Thales, has inked an agreement with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to commercialize the services of its satellite subsidiary Starlink, the company announced on Thursday.
SpaceX’s Starlink owns around 60% of the 7,500 satellites circling Earth and is a significant participant in the satellite internet arena.
Its low-earth orbiting satellites are intended to provide broadband internet services worldwide, particularly in rural areas where other networks do not reach well.
Telespazio will integrate Starlink into its existing communication network, which includes both satellite and terrestrial options.
The agreement “further strengthens Telespazio’s portfolio in the satcom segment, allowing it to respond to the needs of institutions and strategic industry segments, such as the energy and maritime sectors,” stated Alessandro Caranci, Telespazio’s Vice President for Satellite Communications.
