- Important step for digital sovereignty and innovative strength: 39 percent[1] support the German government's planned billion-euro investment
- Almost half fear that Europe and Germany are falling behind in the race for space technologies
Frankfurt (Germany) – Germans are very interested in taking advantage of satellite Internet. Since the services do not require cables or cell towers, they are particularly attractive for rural, remote, and hard-to-reach regions. Several international companies currently offer such services worldwide. Already 58 percent of people in Germany have heard of satellite-based Internet, but usage is still low. Only 5 percent* have tried it or are currently using it, while 9 percent are planning to use it. But the potential is huge: 70 percent* of those surveyed would be open to using Internet from space if good connectivity quality could be guaranteed regardless of location. These are the results of a recent representative YouGov survey commissioned by Internet Exchange operator DE-CIX.
Europe and Germany in the international race
Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that far more people support than oppose the German government’s planned billion-Euro investments in satellites, ground stations, and launch vehicles: 39 percent* of respondents are in favor of the €35 billion package to be made available for this purpose by 2030, while only 16 percent* oppose it. Securing digital sovereignty and innovative strength in Germany and Europe is therefore seen as an important and necessary step. And despite the investments, almost half of the participants are concerned that Germany and Europe could fall behind internationally in the development and use of new space technologies.
DE-CIX is also conducting research as part of the ESA's OFELIAS project with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) on innovative solutions such as Space-IX to optimize communication with LEO satellite constellations in low Earth orbit (LEO). Together, they are investigating how information and data can be transmitted quickly and reliably between space and Earth using laser links. Applications such as artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and humanoid robots require extremely low latency. With growing economic interest in space, the demands on digital infrastructure in orbit and beyond are also increasing.
Satellite Internet: Germans see potential – but also hurdles
Although a third of the population is not yet familiar with satellite Internet, there is a high level of openness to it – provided that the quality and price are right. The technology can close gaps in coverage, especially in rural or hard-to-reach regions. However, a number of hurdles must be overcome before it can become widespread: Many respondents have concerns about the cost of use (45 percent), environmental impact and space debris (39 percent), dependence on international providers (35 percent), and data security (33 percent). In addition to technological innovation, transparency, sustainability, and sovereignty must therefore remain central topics.
“The results show that people in Germany are open to innovation. What is important now is to shape progress economically and responsibly so that the technology becomes affordable and reliable. That is why DE-CIX, as the world's leading Internet Exchange operator, is committed to a powerful, resilient, and sustainable digital infrastructure that will interconnect satellites with terrestrial networks,” says Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX. “Our Space-IX project addresses current challenges with an interconnection infrastructure specifically designed to minimize latency and improve connectivity – even beyond our planet. This creates new opportunities for broadband coverage, mobile backhaul, and edge connectivity, even in remote regions. The goal is to build an orbital network that is flexible, secure, and scalable for a new dimension of global digital infrastructure.”
About the survey:
The data in this survey is based on online interviews with members of the YouGov panel who agreed to participate in advance. A total of 2,060 people were surveyed for this survey between October 22 and 24, 2025. The survey was quota-weighted by age, gender, and region, and the results were then weighted accordingly. The results are representative of the resident population in Germany aged 18 and over.
[1] The percentages reported are based on the aggregation of two or more adjacent scale points, e.g., “Very positive” and “Somewhat positive.” The same applies to the other values marked with an asterisk (*).