Europe Firms in Talks for Satellite-to-Mobile Venture
The carriers would seek a reserved slice of the EU’s 2 GHz band, a move that could limit Starlink’s access as licences expire in 2027.
- On Monday, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone Group, and Telefonica entered early talks to create a consortium to bid on European satellite spectrum and offer direct-to-mobile services, competing with Starlink on the continent.
- The European Union proposed reserving one-third of the 2 GHz band for a majority European-controlled operator to increase sovereign satellite capabilities, with current licenses expiring in May 2027.
- To qualify, Vodafone must adjust its 50/50 joint venture structure with AST SpaceMobile, while Deutsche Telekom maintains an agreement to offer Starlink direct-to-device services; both face European control requirements.
- If successful, the four-carrier venture would control the reserved spectrum, effectively deciding whether Starlink operates as supplier or competitor across most of the EU's largest mobile markets.
- Analysts suggest the consortium might lease capacity from American constellations until European alternatives exist; meanwhile, the EU reserves spectrum for IRIS², a sovereign constellation led by SES, Eutelsat Communications, and Hispasat, scheduled for 2029 service.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Europe firms in talks for satellite-to-mobile venture
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone Group and Telefonica are in early talks to create a consortium to bid on European Union satellite spectrum and offer direct-to-mobile services, Bloomberg News has reported , citing people familiar with the matter.
Europe's largest mobile companies Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone Group and Telefónica are in talks to form a consortium to participate in the European Union's satellite spectrum auction to start offering satellite communications services aimed directly at mobile phones, US business news outlet Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Seong-han = Leading European telecommunications companies are forming a consortium to counter Elon Musk's Starlink, which directly connects satellites and mobile phones...
Europe's carriers want the spectrum Starlink can't have
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone and Telefónica are in early talks to form a consortium that would bid for European satellite spectrum and offer calls, texts and data to ordinary phones from orbit, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The service would compete with Starlink on its home continent. Paula Doenecke, Gian Volpicelli and Clara Hernanz Lizarraga cited […] This story continues at The Next Web
The Straits Times
communicationstoday.co.inEurope’s biggest mobile operators in talks for satellite-to-mobile venture
The consortium is eyeing a bid for satellite spectrum to offer direct-to-mobile services, an area dominated by Elon Musk’s Starlink. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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