British telecommunications company BT has decided to suspend the full launch of satellite internet services in partnership with Starlink. The delay was caused by the company's management's caution against the recent scandal regarding unexpected communication restrictions for the Ukrainian military.
British telecommunications company BT has decided to suspend the full launch of satellite internet services in partnership with Starlink. The delay was caused by the company's management's caution against the recent scandal regarding unexpected communication restrictions for the Ukrainian military.
As the Financial Times reports , citing BT CEO Allison Kirkby, the service is technically ready for deployment, but the telecom operator has decided to wait until the "noise" surrounding Elon Musk and his satellite network dies down.
Last month, the Ukrainian Defense Forces encountered unexplained failures in the operation of Starlink systems, which seriously complicated front-line communications and forced the cancellation of a number of military operations during the escalation of Russian attacks. Elon Musk explained at the time that the military version of the system, called Starshield, is allegedly controlled exclusively by the US government, so all speed restrictions are set by the Pentagon. However, the American authorities officially denied their involvement in these restrictions. Subsequently, access to the network for Ukrainian units was fully restored .
“We will launch the service actively only when we feel that the noise around Elon Musk and Starlink due to the situation in Ukraine has subsided a bit,” Allison Kirkby explained in a comment to the publication.
The partnership between the companies was announced in November last year, and was expected to launch in the second half of 2026. BT plans to use satellites to provide broadband to customers in remote rural areas where Openreach's fibre network, which currently covers around 25 million households, does not reach. In its latest statement, the company clarified that the launch will take place "in the coming months", as providing the best products requires working with the best partners.
Despite the reputational risks, BT's chief executive acknowledged that Starlink is technologically "far ahead" of all its competitors. According to her, the American company is interested in working in Britain precisely through local partners and does not plan to become their direct competitor. It is noteworthy that BT's main rival in the local market, telecom group Virgin Media O2, already has an existing agreement with Starlink to serve its mobile subscribers.
