While France has chosen Starlink to connect its planes to very high speed Wi-Fi, the SNCF could soon take the same path. Faced with the American satellite giant, the European operator Eutelsat, supported at arm’s length by the state, tries to assert its legitimacy.
The privileged French people who take the plane, which is more with Air France, may have noticed this summer, leaving for their holiday resort, a novelty on board the company’s devices: very high speed, and free Wi-Fi (for the moment). This advantage is the fruit of an agreement between Air France and Starlink, the Satellite Internet service provider of SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk at the end of a call for tenders.
In the coming months, according to information from the letter, another flagship of French transport, the SNCF, intends to equip its trains with this same satellite connection. And once again, the American giant in the sector, with its approximately 7,500 satellites in low orbit, is among the contenders. Faced with him, Eutelsat, European operator of French law recently reinforced by a massive investment in the tricolor state, tries to return to the race. In June 2025, the public power rose to the tune of 29.9 % of its capital, injecting 716 million euros to become the main shareholder.