Finland offers Australia Starlink alternative

A Finnish satellite company, ReOrbit, has offered to help Australia develop its own sovereign alternative to Elon Musk's Starlink. ReOrbit, which currently assembles defence communication satellites in Helsinki, proposes establishing manufacturing in Australia with local partners and government involvement.

This initiative comes as Australia enhances its reliance on non-controlled satellite technology, with new regulations requiring mobile carriers to offer basic outdoor coverage via low-earth-orbit satellites starting next year. The Australian Telecommunications Alliance notes a lack of competitive options in this market, with major carriers Telstra and Optus already partnering with Starlink.

ReOrbit's chief commercial officer, Markus Räikkönen, highlighted the critical importance of controlling satellite connectivity, especially for defence purposes, citing concerns about potential service disruptions. He stated that governments desire complete ownership of their satellite systems, including ground stations and data landing within their own countries, free from external restrictions.

While Finland might require only one geostationary satellite for critical communications, Australia's vast landmass necessitates a constellation of approximately 600 to 1000 low-earth-orbit satellites for a comparable sovereign service. ReOrbit would serve as the systems integrator, transferring technological know-how to Australia.

This proposal follows Australia's cancellation of its previous $6.9 billion sovereign military satellite communications project, JP9102, in 2024. ReOrbit, founded in 2019, has attracted significant investment from Finnish pension funds and is known for offering affordable alternatives to large satellite systems.

ReOrbit's first satellite, featuring onboard AI for image analysis, is scheduled to launch in February on a SpaceX rideshare flight, coinciding with Räikkönen's planned visit to Australia.