Italy has advanced talks with Elon Musk’s SpaceX for a deal to provide telecommunications for the nation’s government, the largest project of its kind, sources told Bloomberg.
Italian officials have been negotiating a €1.5 billion (A$2.4 billion) deal aimed at supplying Italy with top-level encryption for telephone and Internet services used by the government.
The Italian government is considering a five-year contract for SpaceX to provide top-level encryption for telecommunication and internet services used by its employees and services extending into the Bel Paese defence sector.
The report also included communications services for Italy’s military in the Mediterranean area and the rollout of satellite services in Italy for use in emergencies including terrorist attacks.
This comes after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise visit to Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Largo residence in Florida and said to boost ties with the incoming president.
Meloni has also forged a strong relationship with Musk who is one of Trump’s close allies.
On the back of her Florida visit with Trump, Meloni herself will welcome President Joe Biden to Rome in the next few days - expected to be the outgoing commander-in-chief’s last foreign trip as U.S. leader.
It’s also considering rolling out SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink - which was rolled out to more than 20 nations during 2024 - including the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, Portugal, New Zealand and others.
Azzet has reached out to SpaceX for comment.
SpaceX is a private company. Its latest valuation is around US$350 billion (based on a recent secondary share sale), making it one of the most valuable private companies in the world.