Nearly 15,000 people have signed a petition urging Switzerland’s federal government to halt plans for a major SpaceX Starlink ground station in the canton of Valais. Campaigners say the project would hand excessive influence over Swiss communications infrastructure to Elon Musk and expose the country to geopolitical risk.
On May 21st a coalition led by the activist group Campax and the association “Schutz vor Satellitenstrahlung Region Leuk” submitted a petition bearing 14,550 signatures to the Federal Chancellery in Bern to prevent the construction of 40 Starlink antennas in the municipality of Leuk.
Opponents argue that the project threatens Switzerland’s data sovereignty. Starlink, the satellite-internet network operated by SpaceX, is designed to provide broadband access in remote or poorly connected regions. SpaceX says it now has more than 6,750 satellites in orbit and over 5m subscribers worldwide.
Campaigners insist that the issue goes beyond telecommunications. Whoever controls the antennas ultimately controls communications, the petition states. It warns that Switzerland could become dependent on American infrastructure in times of crisis and vulnerable to political pressure from Washington.
The petitioners also cite Starlink’s role in recent geopolitical disputes. They point to reports that access to the network around Crimea was restricted during military operations in 2022, illustrating, they argue, that the system is far from neutral. Critics further accuse Mr Musk of wielding his businesses and social-media platform as political tools.
The proposed site has become contentious locally as well. The antennas would be built partly in a residential area and near the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park, a protected natural park in the Rhône valley.
Opponents claim the installation would emit radiation at levels significantly higher than conventional mobile-phone antennas, though regulators have not concluded that it breaches Swiss safety standards.
The municipality of Leuk granted planning permission in November 2025. An appeal against the decision is currently pending before the Valais cantonal government. Activists say no final building authorisation has yet been approved and vow to continue resisting the development.
For Switzerland, the dispute highlights a broader dilemma confronting many European countries: how to balance the appeal of advanced digital infrastructure with concerns over technological dependence on American firms. For critics of the project, the planned Starlink station is not merely a technical upgrade but a test of national sovereignty.
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