Like the US-based Starlink, Eutelsat provides, among other things, internet access via its satellites and can therefore be reached from places with otherwise poor infrastructure.
"In a time when our enemies are increasingly using space technology to harm us, a robust satellite connection is crucial for the security of our continent," says Britain's Technology Minister Peter Kyle in a statement.
The British contribution follows the investment round last month, when, among other things, France was involved and injected the equivalent of 15 billion kronor into the company.
Together with two other European satellite companies, SES and Hispasat, Eutelsat is responsible for realizing the EU project Iris2, which will strengthen Europe's access to satellite communications and reduce dependence on American operators such as market-leading Elon Musk's Starlink, part of Space X, and Jeff Bezos' venture Kuiper, which belongs to Amazon.
The issue of a European equivalent to Starlink has been highlighted during the war in Ukraine, where access has been an important asset for the country's defense capabilities against Russia. Elon Musk, who has criticized Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, has, among other things, claimed that "the front would collapse" if he shut down Starlink – which has been disputed by experts.
