Starling blows the strip and does not establish its ground station in Normandy

Starling, SpaceX subsidiary building a network of satellites to provide fast internet access anywhere on the planet, has abandoned plans to set up two ground stations in France. In addition to the satellites launched into orbit using SpaceX rockets, there are dozens of ground-based installations in the network. Placed in strategic locations, they are responsible for establishing the connection between terrestrial web networks and the network created by satellites. In France, three stations were planned, including one in Normandy, a few kilometers south of Mont-Saint-Michel, which he created almost a year ago.

A Norman village tries to oppose the establishment of the Starling Ground Station

The group of citizens who opposed the establishment of the Saint-Senier-de-Beuvron ground station on the channel won their case. Not because their process was successful: ARCEP granted its recognition upstream and presented arguments based on fears of electromagnetic waves. ” Can communicate in space up to 830 meters »And saving lives, not considered acceptable at a trial. Starling just decided to throw the piece away and decided that it was not worth fighting to establish a station there.

Authorization granted in December 2020 is revoked Justified by ARCEP At the request of Starlink. The US company decided to choose another location without knowing what was in this situation. Apparently, the city in the channel was placed on a strategic axis for fiber optic networks across Europe, which was the logical choice for a ground station.

As reported Western France, Not only the installation of Saint-Senier-de-Beuvron was abandoned in France. Starling was to set up a station at Gravelines North, where OVH’s largest data center is a global French host. These plans were also dropped without knowing whether they were linked to local protests or some other option to streamline the network.

In France, only one Starling station is planned in Villeneuve-d’Ornan, near Bordeaux. The trade offer was introduced in the country in beta last May, but in this case it is an unsecured offer.

Starling officially launches its satellite internet offer in France