European teleoperators have signed a letter of intent to explore what it would take to deploy satellite-to-mobile services across Europe, according to the Financial Times. The intention is not to directly key Starlink into Europe, especially considering that it is a strategic sector for companies and institutions.
Role of Telcos. The satellite network promoted by Elon Musk already dominates our planet’s low Earth orbit, and in Europe they want to establish their own alternative for some time. For teleoperators, such advantages of SpaceX pose a commercial risk, since if the company secures radio space frequencies and sells services directly to consumers, they lose their role as intermediaries.
Details. Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom, Orange and Vodafone want to bid for the 2 GHz band, which according to the FT is currently used by American companies Viasat and EchoStar and whose licenses expire next year. In May, the European Commission proposed to reserve this band for European operators. According to Hayes Online, Brussels is preparing to reallocate the band by 2027 and is already shaping the licensing process to favor European operators.
It should be noted that operators will not build their own satellites. And according to the FT, they will build ground infrastructure, such as base stations, and partner with an existing satellite provider that has yet to be chosen.
Political motivation. This initiative has the support of Brussels. The FT reports that EU officials have privately welcomed it, a move in line with the continent’s aim to become less dependent on digital infrastructure from outside Europe.
Politico claims that MEPs such as Angelica Weinzig and Michal Kobosko have pushed for rules to raise barriers for international competitors. French President Emmanuel Macron had already called for a European satellite alliance at the Paris Space Conference.
Orange’s Michael Trabbia, on the other hand, confirmed the conversations, as Hayes shared, confirming that the company intends to offer this service to its clients and that it will not accept a single dominant actor.
Deutsche Telekom is currently working with Starlink to offer satellite calling Moreover, these operators, along with Vodafone and Telefónica, were initially wary of the plan, according to Heise. There are risks involved in committing to a plan of this caliber, and these teleoperators know it well.
Interruption. There is no real ready-made alternative to Starlink in Europe. The FT notes that most of the satellite constellations are owned by American or Chinese companies. French operator Eutelsat has built a large constellation, but it is still far behind Starlink, which has more than 11,000 satellites in orbit. IRIS2, a European multi-orbit network, aims to offer a long-term sovereign option, but much work remains.
opposition party According to Hayes, a confidential SpaceX document argues that the proposal would deprive European customers of reliable direct connection service and could cause signal interference worldwide. Meanwhile, the US ambassador to the EU, Andrew Puzder, told the FT that European companies would face “devastating” retaliation if the bloc did not revise its proposals.
Tensions rose after Starlink services in Ukraine were disrupted amid a standoff between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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