Estonia’s 79 municipalities have been testing Starlink terminals since last month as part of crisis preparedness, Maaleht reported.
The tests also form part of the ongoing Exercise Ilves, a week-long national defense exercise.
The town of Keila, near Tallinn, chose the roof of its city government building for its trial. A city spokesperson noted the building “also serves as a resilience center, and during a crisis residents will be able to access the internet there through Starlink,” adding it is “primarily intended for the work of our crisis headquarters.”
Municipalities have been provided with Starlink Standard Actuated terminals, rectangular satellite dishes that automatically orient themselves toward the sky. Support is provided by the State Infocommunication Foundation (RIKS), and subscriptions start at €33 per month.
Meelis Mägi, crisis management adviser at the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, said around 10 percent of municipalities had already purchased similar equipment themselves, while the rest received terminals this year from RIKS reserve stock.
The devices are not kept permanently active. Each municipality has received one terminal and can decide how and where to use it.
The municipality of Räpina in southeast Estonia is among those that acquired Starlink equipment without state support. It is also testing the system during Exercise Ilves, Mayor Mikk Tarros said.
Authorities on Hiiumaa said they have been satisfied with the results so far, including tests in rural locations.
“In a crisis situation, the antenna can be placed somewhere other than the roof of a municipal building. We are also testing Starlink during the large-scale Ilves exercise. I would especially like to commend the Rescue Board for the assistance they have provided during the testing,” island transport specialist Piret Sedrik said.
“Starlink provides both internet access and the ability to make calls,” Sedrik said, adding generators can power the connection. The island is also working to ensure satellite communications are available at all 11 crisis information and resilience centers.
Mägi said Starlink is currently the simplest and fastest solution for crisis-time data communications, while concerns that SpaceX owner Elon Musk could disable the service have been taken into account.
“That is why communications systems need to be built in multiple layers, using different options simultaneously,” Mägi said.
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation providing broadband service in about 160 countries and territories. As of March 2026, it consisted of nearly 10,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites communicating with user terminals and ground stations connected to terrestrial internet infrastructure. Starlink accounts for about 75 percent of all active maneuverable satellites in Earth orbit and had more than 12 million subscribers in June 2026. Tens of thousands of terminals have been distributed in Ukraine, where they have provided communications support for humanitarian and military operations during Russia’s invasion.
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