# Eutelsat expansion and European satellite sovereignty > Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/eutelsat-expansion-and-european-satellite-sovereignty > Updated: 2026-10-29T15:48:15.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. Eutelsat has seen increased market interest following reports of operational limitations with Starshield, a SpaceX-linked satellite system used by the Ukrainian military. As Ukrainian officials noted that communication restrictions disrupted drone operations during Russian attacks, investors have turned toward European alternatives like Eutelsat’s OneWeb network to ensure sovereign control over critical communications. Building on this strategic positioning, Eutelsat is pivoting toward satellite internet services to offset declining video broadcasting revenue. The company is taking a leading role in the European Union’s IRIS² network, a planned low Earth orbit satellite internet service intended to provide an alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink. Eutelsat expects commercial services revenue from this sector to exceed €10 billion between 2032 and 2040. To support this, the company plans to invest €3.39 billion in infrastructure on the IRIS² network between 2027 and 2034. While the company reported a slight first-quarter revenue decline of 2.1%, its long-term outlook is driven by its involvement in the IRIS² project, which is scheduled to begin services in 2030. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-29: Eutelsat projects $11 billion revenue from EU satellite network Eutelsat forecasts over €10 billion in revenue by 2040, driven by its role in the EU’s IRIS² satellite internet network, a strategic alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/eutelsat-projects-11-billion-revenue-from-eu-satellite-network ### 2026-10-16: Eutelsat shares rise amid Starshield connectivity concerns in Ukraine Eutelsat shares surged nearly 25 percent this week as investors view the European satellite operator as a strategic alternative following reported connectivity limitations with SpaceX’s Starshield in Ukraine. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/eutelsat-shares-rise-amid-starshield-connectivity-concerns-in-ukraine --- Cite as: Eutelsat expansion and European satellite sovereignty. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/eutelsat-expansion-and-european-satellite-sovereignty