Italian Prime Minister Meloni under pressure: Will she choose Musk's Starlink or traditional providers?

rome - Elon Musk has offered Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a deal to provide internet for the whole of Italy with his Starlink satellites for 10 euros a month.

Just a few days ago, it seemed like a romance was brewing in the United States between the two. They gazed at each other, smiles captured by the cameras. Meloni called Musk a "precious genius" and Musk described her as "even more beautiful on the inside than on the outside." She has done tremendous work as prime minister, with economic growth and record employment rates. She is seen as honest, genuine, and authentic.

The big question was whether anything concrete would come out of it. Musk's mother had to step in to clarify that there was no relationship between the two. However, Musk made an offer to Meloni that put the Italian premier in a difficult position.

Musk proposed to provide internet connection in Italy for under 10 euros a month through his innovative satellite internet service Starlink. A remarkably low price. It would take between six and nine months to bring Starlink to Italy, thanks to a co-financing from Musk's private investments and the European recovery fund.

One of Starlink's strengths is its ability to offer fast internet directly to users without the need for a complex physical infrastructure used by traditional providers.

This approach would be particularly beneficial for remote areas in Italy where traditional providers struggle to establish a connection. Starlink has already proven effective in challenging countries like Ukraine and Zimbabwe, where even the most isolated regions have gained access to fast internet. And the price is very competitive.

The issue is that traditional internet providers like Tim and Open Fiber, already present in Italy, are already anticipating the competition and are against it. They claim to be more suitable for Italy and naturally want to maintain their own position of power. According to some Italian media, there are Meloni's staff members who may be influenced by this. Meloni will now have to choose between Musk's innovative and effective system or protecting the current Italian providers.

If the Italian premier chooses the latter, it could strain her relationship with Musk. Italy may not only be seen as too conservative by Musk, but also by other foreign investors.