A Finnish satellite maker, ReOrbit, says it could help the Australian government and local companies build a locally owned alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink, with its chief commercial officer saying he is personally interested in making it happen.
ReOrbit chief commercial officer Markus Räikkönen said he plans to visit Australia in February. ReOrbit would act as a systems integrator and hand over its know-how, with the system potentially owned by locals.
The pitch comes as Australia’s Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation begins next year, requiring mobile carriers to provide basic outdoor voice and text coverage through a low-earth-orbit satellite partner. Telstra and Optus have both signed with Starlink for satellite-to-phone services. The Australian Telecommunications Alliance says the market does not currently provide competitive options.
Räikkönen said it matters little to someone shopping online whose satellite carries the signal, but is extremely important for defence. He said governments now want to own their satellites and ground stations, with data landing in their own country and no restrictions or kill switch outside it. “Can somebody turn it off? Can somebody slow it down?” he asked.
In late October, Musk said SpaceX had restricted Ukraine’s Starlink service, accusing its military of breaching the terms by using it for offensive drone strikes. Ukrainian officials disputed the accusation. US President Donald Trump said he told Musk to restore the service, which Ukraine said had hampered its defensive operations.
Räikkönen said a sovereign Starlink version using satellites about 550 kilometres up would need an estimated 600 to 1,000 satellites for Australia, though a service could start with fewer. Australia’s previous attempt at a sovereign military satellite system, the $6.9 billion JP9102 project, was cancelled in 2024.
ReOrbit was founded in 2019 and has about 160 staff. It raised €45 million last year, which TechCrunch reported as a record round for a European space start-up. Its first satellite, with on-board AI processing, is due to launch in February. Räikkönen said governments wary of choosing between American and Chinese suppliers could buy Finnish without upsetting anyone. “If you buy from Finland, nobody cares,” he said.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Australia's mandated satellite mobile coverage currently relies on a single US company, creating a strategic vulnerability that the Ukraine incident has confirmed.
- The push for sovereign satellite infrastructure reflects a broader global trend of governments seeking control over critical communications amid great-power competition.
- Finland's positioning as a neutral supplier offers a pathway for countries seeking to avoid dependence on either American or Chinese technology.
Background
Australia's Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation requires mobile carriers to guarantee basic satellite coverage from next year. With both Telstra and Optus signing contracts with Elon Musk's Starlink, the country lacks competitive alternatives. This dependence was highlighted when SpaceX restricted Ukraine's access to Starlink in late October. Australia's previous attempt to build a sovereign military communications system, the $6.9 billion JP9102 project, was cancelled in 2024.
Key Perspectives
- ReOrbit: Proposes a locally owned satellite constellation built through technology transfer, giving Australia full operational control.
- Australian Telecommunications Alliance: States that the current satellite-to-phone market provides no competitive options to Starlink.
- Ukrainian officials: Disputed the grounds for Starlink service restrictions, saying the disruption hampered their defensive operations.
- Elon Musk: Said the service was restricted because the Ukrainian military breached the terms of use for offensive drone strikes.
- US President Donald Trump: Said he told Musk to restore Ukraine's Starlink service after it had been restricted.
What to Watch
- The outcome of ReOrbit's February visit to Australia and whether it secures backing from the government or local industry partners.
- The scheduled February launch of ReOrbit's first satellite, a demonstration of its capability.
- Whether the Australian government or telecoms reassess their contracts under the new mobile obligation in light of the Ukraine incident.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe Finnish satellite maker is pitching a sovereign Starlink alternative for Australia.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “A Finnish satellite maker says it could help Australia build its own alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink, made locally and owned by Australians.”
- SupportedAustralia’s new mobile obligation requires satellite coverage.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “From next year, the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation requires the mobile carriers to provide basic outdoor voice and text coverage through a low-earth-orbit satellite partner”
- SupportedThe Australian Telecommunications Alliance says the market has no competitive options.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The Australian Telecommunications Alliance, the industry’s peak body, says that market “does not currently provide any competitive options”.”
- SupportedReOrbit says it could help Australia build a locally owned Starlink alternative.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““With a company like ReOrbit we could actually do it in Australia and everything could be owned by locals,” he said.”
- SupportedReOrbit’s chief commercial officer said he is personally interested in making the project happen in Australia.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““I’m very interested personally, making this happen in Australia,” chief commercial officer Markus Räikkönen told this masthead in an interview.”
- SupportedRäikkönen said governments now want to own their satellites and ground stations.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Governments now want the whole system. “I want to own my satellites, my ground station. I want to operate the satellite,” he said”
- SupportedRäikkönen asked, “Can somebody turn it off? Can somebody slow it down?”Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““Can somebody turn it off? Can somebody slow it down?””
- SupportedMusk said SpaceX had restricted Ukraine’s Starlink service and accused Ukraine’s military of using it for offensive drone strikes.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Musk said SpaceX had restricted Ukraine’s Starlink service, accusing its military of breaching the terms by using it for “offensive drone strikes””
- SupportedUkrainian officials disputed Musk’s accusation.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “which Ukrainian officials dispute.”
- Partly supportedTrump said he told Musk to restore Starlink, which Ukraine said had hampered its defensive operations.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Ukraine says the problems hampered its defensive operations for more than a week. Musk had earlier denied deliberately throttling the service, which was restored after US President Donald Trump said he had told Musk to “put it back”.”
- SupportedA sovereign Starlink-like system using satellites about 550 kilometres up would need an estimated 600 to 1,000 satellites for Australia, though it could start with fewer.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “A sovereign version of Starlink, using satellites about 550 kilometres up, would need a constellation of about 600 to 1000 satellites for Australia, he said, though a service could start with fewer.”
- SupportedRäikkönen said, “If you buy from Finland, nobody cares.”Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““If you buy from Finland, nobody cares.””