Elon Musk's SpaceX satellite internet service, "Starlink," is facing obstacles in deploying its high-speed network in Italy.
Last week, Starlink stated in a complaint submitted to the Italian communications regulator that Italy's largest telecom operator, Telecom Italia, failed to share crucial wireless spectrum data, severely hindering the deployment of its new gateway equipment.
In the documents submitted by Starlink, the company stated that Telecom Italia had clearly indicated "it does not want to coordinate" and has not shared the necessary data to avoid frequency interference.
Starlink also revealed that it has been requesting data from Telecom Italia since mid-October last year, but the operator has refused to provide the data citing technical issues.
Currently, with over 2.6 million users globally, Starlink's rapidly growing user base makes it an important potential revenue stream for SpaceX. However, Telecom Italia's restrictive actions may dampen Starlink's ambitions for growth and customer satisfaction in Italy.
Furthermore, Starlink had plans to expand its high-speed network in parts of Southern Europe and North Africa, relying on its infrastructure in Italy. However, the lack of cooperation from Telecom Italia could significantly slow down this plan, affecting network deployment in those regions.
If unresolved, this situation may compel SpaceX to shift investments from Italy to other more cooperative European markets.
Following Starlink's complaint, both the Italian communications regulator and the Ministry of Industry are investigating the matter, but have not made any public comments yet.
SpaceX and Starlink are hoping to swiftly resolve this issue, allowing the satellite internet company to fulfill its commitment to connect millions of people without unnecessary regulatory obstacles.
