BT won't launch Starlink deal until people forget about Ukraine
CEO Alison Kirkby is waiting for the ‘noise to die down.’
The UK's largest telecoms company has paused the launch of its Starlink tie-up, but not for the reason you may expect. Speaking to the Financial Times, BT CEO Alison Kirkby said the launch would wait until "the noise has died down" due to Elon Musk's personal intervention in Ukraine. Kirkby said that BT was "cautious on how Starlink might be viewed at the moment considering what happened in Ukraine a couple of weeks ago."
Starlink, the satellite internet arm of Elon Musk's SpaceX, has provided infrastructure support to Ukraine while it defends itself against the Russian invasion. In October, Musk reportedly ordered Starlink to slow down the service used by the Ukrainian military, sparking international outrage. The move caused alarm both in demonstrating how much power Musk holds, and raised questions about his reliability as a business partner.
Despite this, BT is undeterred that the deal will launch, saying that it will offer a "giant leap" for rural connectivity in the UK. The Financial Times also quoted Kirkby in a statement, which added that "offering the best products for our customers means working with the best partners" and that Starlink would launch "in the coming months." Who knew that "the best partners" also includes someone with a proven track record of messing with service quality on the basis of nothing but his own whim?