Trump Gives Europe an Ultimatum on Which Communication Technologies to Use

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is presenting European partners with a choice — to continue cooperation in the telecommunications sector with Elon Musk’s company Starlink, or to turn to Chinese technologies.

Brendan Carr, the head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), urged “Western allies” to choose Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink. This was reported by the Financial Times.

Carr warned those hesitant to cooperate with Musk’s company that they must choose between American and Chinese technologies.

“Western allied democracies need to focus on the real long-term problem: the rise of the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.

His statement came at a time when European governments and some companies are considering whether Starlink, which belongs to Musk’s company SpaceX, is a reliable partner — especially after Washington threatened to shut down its services in Ukraine, the publication notes.

“If you're concerned about Starlink, just wait for the CCP versions — then you'll really be concerned,” he said.

The FCC chairman also stated that European regulators are “biased” against American tech companies. He accused the European Commission of “protectionism” and taking an “anti-American” stance.

“If Europe has its own satellite constellation, that’s great — I think the more, the better. But more broadly, I think Europe is a bit squeezed between the U.S. and China. And now seems like a time for choosing,” he said.

Carr also said that European telecom companies Nokia and Ericsson should move most of their manufacturing operations to the U.S., as both could suffer from Trump’s import tariffs.

Both companies are the largest suppliers of mobile network infrastructure equipment in the U.S. Carr said that a historic “mistake” in U.S. industrial policy led to a situation where there is no major American company in the telecom equipment supplier market.

Carr added that he would “consider” granting companies faster regulatory approvals for new technologies if they relocate to the U.S.