cometa geo / Shutterstock.com SpaceX is rumored to be near to closing a deal with the Italian government to provide Starlink-based communication services to the European country’s military, security and emergency services. On January 5, 2024, Bloomberg, quoting unnamed sources familiar with the matter, reported that a $1.6 billion deal is in the works, through which Elon Musk’s SpaceX would provide encrypted communications across the Mediterranean area for various Italian government agencies, particularly in case of emergency situations. These reports follow the visit in early January by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. In addition to meeting with the upcoming US president, during her Florida trip Meloni also had the chance to speak in person with Elon Musk, with whom she is said to have a good relationship. However, the Italian government has denied a relation between Meloni’s Mar-a-Lago meetings and a potential acquisition of Starlink’s services, noting that the US firm is one of several providers with which the Italian government is in contact regarding its communications needs.