The European Commission outlined a new allocation plan for mobile satellite spectrum on Wednesday that will permit non-European operators to compete for capacity next year while reserving the greater share of frequencies for European companies.
Under the proposal, well-known non-European entrants - named as examples are Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s low-earth-orbit satellite business - will be able to bid for spectrum licences when the current authorisations held by U.S. companies Viasat and EchoStar lapse next year. The Commission said the change is intended to open the market to new operators after those licences expire.
The measure forms part of a broader EU push to strengthen what the executive calls the bloc’s tech sovereignty by promoting European technology players. Officials flagged this objective as being driven by concerns about China’s technological rise and by the strong presence of U.S. technology firms amid ongoing transatlantic tensions.
Officials highlighted the characteristics of the 2 GHz frequency band. The Commission said this spectrum is well-suited to direct-to-device services that allow end users to bypass traditional telecoms providers, and that it can support critical communications and provide high-speed internet access in remote locations.
"More than ever, high-capacity widely available satellite connectivity is essential to strengthen the resilience of the EU’s communication networks," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement. "Satellite connectivity is also crucial for our governmental services and Europe’s critical communications."
Details of the allocation split were made explicit. One third of the mobile satellite spectrum will be reserved for governmental purposes - for example, security and military use - and that capacity will be delivered by an EU operator that will integrate the capability with the EU’s IRIS2 multi-orbit array of 290 satellites, the Commission said.
The remaining two thirds of the band will be allocated for commercial use. That commercial portion will be divided equally between European and non-European operators, the executive added, confirming the planned balance between domestic industry protection and openness to outside competitors.
The Commission described IRIS2 as Europe’s response to the non-European low-earth-orbit constellations. The overall approach aims to preserve government-critical communications while creating room for commercial services from both EU and non-EU providers.
Sections most directly affected include satellite and space services, telecommunications infrastructure and public-sector communications, particularly defense and security networks that rely on guaranteed access to reserved spectrum. The allocation also has implications for connectivity in remote regions dependent on satellite broadband.