EU Plans to Reserve Most of Mobile Satellite Spectrum for Homegrown Operators
EU proposed an overhaul of how licenses are granted for the 2 gigahertz MSS frequency band that is used for satellite communications
- The EU proposed an overhaul of mobile satellite spectrum licensing to reserve the majority for homegrown operators.
- The proposal would set aside two-thirds of the 2 gigahertz MSS frequency band for commercial use, with one-third for secure government communications.
- The EU seeks to curb reliance on foreign tech companies and boost its sovereignty in the technology sector.
The European Union plans to reserve most of its lucrative mobile satellite spectrum for homegrown operators from next year, the bloc’s latest move to curb reliance on foreign tech companies.
The EU on Wednesday proposed an overhaul of how licenses are granted for the 2 gigahertz MSS frequency band that is used for satellite communications, after May 2027, when licenses held by U.S. companies Viasat and EchoStar are due to expire.
The EU wants to reserve two-thirds of the sought-after band for commercial use such as cellular devices, it said Wednesday.
Non-EU companies such as Elon Musk’s Starlink would be able to bid for access, but access for commercial use would be divided equally between European companies entering the market and other European and non-EU companies in a bid to diversify the bloc’s suppliers.
The remaining one-third of access would also be set aside for EU operators providing secure government communications.
The EU has sought to boost its own sovereignty in the technology sector in recent months, spurred on by concerns over the dominance of U.S. tech giants while trans-Atlantic relations are more volatile under President Trump.
“Europe stands now at a crossroads. We now have a rare opportunity to choose what we want to do for our future,” Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s top tech enforcer, said Wednesday. “We want to boost Europe’s competitiveness, we want to strengthen Europe’s security and, also, we want to embrace new technological possibilities,” she said.