Eutelsat OneWeb is the main partner chosen by Greenland’s telecom operator Tusass to expand satellite internet across East and North Greenland, a move that sidelines Elon Musk’s Starlink and prioritises resilience and sovereign control of critical infrastructure.
What the deal covers: LEO connectivity for hard‑to‑reach communities
The multi‑year agreement brings low‑Earth orbit (LEO) capacity from Eutelsat OneWeb to settlements that lack subsea cables or radio chain backhaul. According to the companies, the service targets both community broadband and mission‑critical links for maritime safety, mobility and emergency response—key needs in Greenland’s dispersed geography and harsh climate. LEO connectivity promises low‑latency coverage at high latitudes, where terrestrial networks remain sparse.
Ground stations in the east and far north underpin coverage
Beyond backhaul, the rollout builds on existing Tusass ground infrastructure at Tasiilaq, Ittoqqortoormiit and Qaanaaq, anchoring service in areas historically underserved. These sites are central to extending capacity to nearby towns and villages and to improving redundancy for essential services.
Why not Starlink? Monopoly rules, models and sovereignty
Starlink was among the providers engaged by Tusass, but the state‑owned operator has long stressed that Greenland’s critical infrastructure must remain under national control. The current concession gives Tusass exclusivity on telecommunications, and a government review warned that a rapid market liberalisation could weaken oversight and security of supply.
Another practical hurdle is business model: Starlink’s direct‑to‑consumer approach conflicts with Greenland’s wholesale framework, while Eutelsat OneWeb fits the operator‑integrator model already integrated in Tusass networks. Negotiations with Starlink are not formally closed, but no agreement has been reached.
Security and resilience after recent outages
The choice also reflects a push for resilience. In April 2025, a power blackout in Spain disrupted satellite links serving remote Greenlandic settlements, highlighting vulnerabilities in international ground infrastructure. A diversified LEO layer is intended to strengthen redundancy for internet, telephony, radio and TV in the satellite zone.
The agreement lands as Europe doubles down on digital sovereignty in space connectivity. In mid‑2025, France and the UK recapitalised Eutelsat (merged with OneWeb) with around €1.5 billion, while the EU advances its IRIS² secure constellation.
What to watch next
The partners have not published a detailed public timeline for retail activation, but initial focus is on East and North Greenland, leveraging the named ground stations. Key indicators will include latency and throughput in village access points, the scale‑up of maritime and search‑and‑rescue services, and how the solution complements ongoing investments in subsea cables, radio chains and future 5G upgrades.
For Greenlandic policymakers, the next steps in any telecom liberalisation debate—and how they balance competition with sovereign control—will be equally consequential for the island’s connectivity.
The shift toward Eutelsat OneWeb aligns Greenland with a broader Nordic‑EU trend: securing Arctic‑grade, operator‑led LEO capacity while keeping critical infrastructure governance close to home.
