Government holds talks with Eutelsat, a Starlink competitor
That morning, the same delegation visited the Telecommunications Ministry for an initial meeting with Minister Charles Hage. Few details have emerged from that discussion. Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, the minister's office simply indicated that it was an exploratory exchange with no conclusions at this stage, except that Lebanon is seeking to strengthen its internet access, a service Eutelsat provides.
A major player in the sector, Eutelsat OneWeb — the trade name adopted following the September 2023 merger between French operator Eutelsat and British company OneWeb — offers a satellite internet service similar to Starlink, the SpaceX subsidiary founded by Elon Musk, with whom Lebanon had initiated discussions that ultimately went nowhere. With a satellite fleet far smaller than its competitor's, Eutelsat OneWeb is mainly well-established in the European market, while also covering several countries in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
After the meeting at the Grand Serail, Hani al-Arja, vice president in charge of sales of connectivity solutions for the MENA region, said the company had informed the prime minister of "ongoing preparations for the potential launch of the company's services in Lebanon," which will in principle be marketed by operators Ogero, Alfa and Touch. "The company specializes in providing fast satellite internet and communication services, including low-cost mobile satellites. This service will provide users with high-speed internet connectivity," he said.
These talks with Eutelsat cast doubt on the state of negotiations with SpaceX, which had already failed under the previous government of Najib Mikati due to service costs and a technical constraint: SpaceX reportedly required Lebanon to host its data management servers in Qatar or Germany, which would violate Law No. 81 on personal data protection.
Yet, the adoption of Starlink seemed well underway in early June — buoyed by the enthusiasm displayed by Musk, who had expressed his wish "to see his companies present in Lebanon," according to remarks reported by the Lebanese presidency. Even U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who just wrapped up a three-day visit to Lebanon to discuss the state monopoly on arms, called the case 'promising' during an interview with Télé Liban on Monday night.
It is difficult to know where things currently stand. According to a source from a major Lebanese internet provider, talks with Starlink are at a standstill. Another source, close to the government, said nothing prevents Lebanon from negotiating with both Eutelsat and SpaceX at the same time.
Lebanon is mainly connected to the internet via submarine and land cables.
On the sidelines of his meeting with Eutelsat, the prime minister also met the Lebanese team that will participate in the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC) and the Adobe Certified Professional World Championship (ACPWC), which will be held from July 27 to 30 in Orlando, Florida. The Makhzoumi Foundation organizes the national selection in Lebanon, after which the country's representatives are chosen.
The participants presented the prime minister with the official jersey that Lebanon will be represented with during this international competition, according to a statement.
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