Hungary's 4iG Group and SpaceX have signed an agreement on introducing Starlink and sovereign satellite solutions in Hungary. According to a statement from 4iG, the group will launch the Starlink Mobile commercial service in Hungary and Albania, in areas where coverage is limited or unavailable. They have also agreed on a communications service called Sovereign Solutions, which is based on secure satellite networks and is designed for use in the field of national security.
Starlink is the world’s biggest constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit providing a direct connection between satellites and cell phones, allowing LTE-compatible cell phones to connect without separate satellite terminals. This makes mobile communications available even in areas where traditional network coverage is limited or nonexistent.
Under the Orbán governments, 4iG received significant backing from the state and grew into a leading company within the former system; the firm became a key player in telecommunications, the defense industry, and the aerospace sector. It is currently unclear whether the Hungarian state will continue to cooperate with the group under the Tisza administration: the new government is reviewing the group’s massive state contracts—that is, it is reviewing the satellite service contracts of the Fidesz government and 4iG, totaling 2.36 billion euros.
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