European Commission looks to the bloc’s sovereignty – British and Norwegian companies could be permitted to acquire the prized 2GHz spectrum too
The European Commission has proposed that non-European satellite operators such as Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s low-earth-orbit (LEO) units will be allowed to bid for the 2GHz mobile satellite spectrum. The Commission could also allow British and Norwegian companies to acquire spectrum in future.
This frequency is ideal for direct to device services, which could allow satcos to bypass telcos. It is also suitable for critical communications and access to high-speed internet in remote areas.
Two thirds of the available 2GHz spectrum will be divided equally between EU and non-EU operators for commercial use, the EU executive said, confirming a previous Reuters report. At least one commissioner wanted to exclude US operators altogether.
The Commission is seeking to boost the EU’s tech sovereignty, promoting European companies. In addition to concerns about the dominance of US satcos, it is also wary of China’s rise in the satellite sphere.
The outstanding third will be reserved for governmental use such as for security and military. The plan is that this will be provided by an EU operator which integrates satellite capability with the EU’s IRIS2 – the multi-orbit array of 290 satellites. IRIS2 is described as “Europe’s response to Starlink”.
The proposal will have to win the approval of all EU member states and its legislature before it can become law.
The EU executive wants to allow new operators into the market and during a transitional period, licences held by US companies Viasat and EchoStar will be extended for two years – they are currently due to expire in May 2027.
Henna Virkkunen (pictured above), the EU’s Commissioner for tech sovereignty, security and democracy told a press conference, “We want to boost Europe’s competitiveness. We want to strengthen Europe’s security. We want to embrace new technological possibilities. And all of this by taking into account the current changing geopolitical context.” She claimed, “Our proposal ticks all these boxes.”
She dismissed possible criticism that the proposal could be seen as targeting US.companies, saying, “We are very transparent and fair also with our proposal here,” according to the Reuters report.
