Channelling the Constellation: How Six Regulators Are Responding to Starlink

This report examines how regulators in six markets, the European Union, India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom, are responding to the competitive threat that SpaceX's Starlink poses to local telecommunications operators. It covers both threats: Starlink's fixed satellite broadband, which is already taking rural share from incumbents, and its direct-to-cell mobile service, which is today sold through local carriers but which SpaceX is preparing to offer on a standalone basis. For each market it sets out the regulatory measures adopted or proposed as at late October 2026, then compares them against a common toolkit of three responses: channelling satellite mobile through local licensees, bringing offshore operators within domestic obligations, and investing in sovereign or non-US alternatives. It closes with the implications for operators, regulators and investors.