The Italian government is negotiating with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to provide telecommunications security services.
The €1.5 billion deal aims to encrypt communications for government and military use. The project, approved by Italian intelligence services and the Ministry of Defense, has faced resistance from local telecom providers, who fear competition from Starlink and advocate for data storage within the country.
Talks began in 2023, but support from Donald Trump could accelerate the process. Meanwhile, Italy is exploring ways to implement EU-funded broadband network projects, which are behind schedule.
SpaceX continues to expand its global presence: Starlink now serves over 4 million customers in more than 100 countries, including 55,000 users in Italy.
