BT won't launch Starlink deal until people forget about Ukraine

CEO Alison Kirkby is waiting for the ‘noise to die down.’

By Daniel Cooper Nov. 10, 2026 9:01 am EST Shcherbak Volodymyr/Getty Images Add Engadget on Google: Google Discover

The UK's largest telecoms company has paused the launch of its Starlink tie-up, but not for the reason you may expect. Speaking to the Financial Times, BT CEO Alison Kirkby said the launch would wait until "the noise has died down" due to Elon Musk's personal intervention in Ukraine. Kirkby said that BT was "cautious on how Starlink might be viewed at the moment considering what happened in Ukraine a couple of weeks ago."