Ukraine is moving to secure alternative communications networks after restrictions on SpaceX's Starlink and Starshield services, a report said.

CNBC reported on Oct. 23 that Ukraine's Defence Ministry said it signed a letter of intent with Finland's Nokia and satellite manufacturer ICEYE to develop new defence and satellite communications capabilities.

The move comes as restrictions on Starlink access on Ukraine's battlefield are affecting combat operations. Ukrainian authorities said limits that cut connections for drones and other aircraft travelling faster than 100 miles per hour were continuing as of Oct. 24. The outlet said some fast-moving drones crashed after losing their link.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a statement that modern warfare has proven reliable communications are a national security issue. He said capabilities everyone can control must be relied on. Ukraine also decided this week to jointly develop air defence and communications systems with Norway, and said the systems could be used as an alternative to Starshield.

The controversy is also spreading over how SpaceX changed its services. Ukraine has claimed there were unannounced service changes starting about a week ago, but U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, did not acknowledge responsibility. Trump told reporters at the White House on Oct. 24 that he would ask Musk to lift the restrictions.

In U.S. politics, calls for an investigation are emerging on a bipartisan basis. U.S. lawmakers urged an official probe of Musk and the company over allegations that SpaceX made unilateral changes to its services in Ukraine.

The issue is also leading to caution about reliance on U.S. satellite communications beyond Ukraine. Jay Shambaugh, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the sudden Starlink change was part of a pattern of the United States acting as an unreliable ally since Trump's return. He warned that over time, European Union countries may no longer want to rely on services the United States can cut off at any time, and that this could also affect U.S. exports to Europe.

There are not many systems that can immediately replace Starlink. Virginia Burger, a senior defence policy analyst at the Project on Government Oversight, said the current problem is that there is no way to replace Starlink immediately. She said combat is shifting to unmanned systems and drone warfare and other systems that require high-speed internet.

In the market, the number of potential Starlink alternatives is gradually increasing. Amazon's low-Earth-orbit communications business, France's Eutelsat and TeraWave, which Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is preparing, are cited as competing candidates. TeraWave has not yet deployed its first satellite. The European Union is also pushing to build IRIS2, made up of hundreds of satellites, but the first launch is expected in 2029.

Private funding is also moving toward alternative networks. Data compiled by Space Capital CEO Chad Anderson shows that since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, about $8 billion in venture capital and private equity funding has been invested in Starlink and Starshield alternative areas. Of that, about $3.9 billion flowed mainly to potential Starlink rivals such as SpaceSail and China SatNet.

Against this backdrop, Ukraine's cooperation is seen as a move to secure a separately controllable defence communications network rather than simply introduce equipment. A key question is whether it can reduce short-term communications gaps for drones and aircraft, and whether it can build a combat-ready system that could replace Starshield in the medium to long term.