France has halted Eutelsat’s planned sale of its ground antenna infrastructure, citing national security risks, according to Finance Minister Roland Lescure. The decision underscores the strategic importance of satellite communications assets as Europe seeks to protect critical infrastructure amid growing geopolitical tensions.
Lescure said the antennas are used for both civilian and military communications and described Eutelsat as Europe’s only major competitor to Starlink, making the assets strategically sensitive. He added that the move was linked solely to French sovereignty concerns and not to the credibility of the prospective buyer.
Eutelsat had planned to sell its passive ground infrastructure to Swedish private equity firm EQT, a deal expected to generate around 550 million euros in net proceeds. The company confirmed the transaction would not go ahead, and its shares fell sharply in early Paris trading following the announcement. France currently holds a 29.6% stake in Eutelsat, making it the company’s largest shareholder.
Ground antennas are considered dual-use infrastructure because they link satellites to terrestrial networks and can support defense operations. Eutelsat last year signed a 10-year contract worth about 1 billion euros to provide satellite services to the French military, reinforcing the government’s view that the assets must remain under national control.
