The Guardian: 'Deeply uncomfortable': UK Starlink users switch off over Musk's political machinations

[Dennis Donovan]

The Guardian - ‘Deeply uncomfortable’: UK Starlink users switch off over Musk’s political machinations

Numbers using satellite broadband system has been growing but users are having second thoughts due to Musk’s role in Donald Trump’s administration

Ben Quinn
Sun 16 Mar 2025 08.00 EDT

Tesla sales have tumbled, X has seen an exodus of users, and now it seems cracks are appearing among those who have turned to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system as a means of staying connected in remote areas.

While the number of Starlink users has been growing, some subscribers have been venting their frustrations over Musk’s political machinations, saying they will no longer use the high speed satellite internet system.

Barry Nisbet, a Scottish fiddler, whose Shetland business combines music with seafaring, cited Musk’s controversial salute at a Donald Trump inauguration event as one of the final straws for why he was leaving Starlink, even if it put him at a disadvantage.

“I’ve been deeply uncomfortable for some time and the role he played in the US election, as well as the monopoly he has, deeply bothers me,” he told the Guardian.

While Starlink dominates its sector, signs of users’ unease come as excitement grows among European tech enthusiasts about the prospect of a homegrown alternative finally emerging. The value of shares in Eutelsat, the French owner of London-based Starlink rival OneWeb, have shot up by 500% since Trump’s Oval Office row with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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