The European Commission will announce a decision this week that seeks to prioritise European satellite operators and curb Starlink’s expansion across the continent, the flagship service of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Starlink presently leads the global satellite internet market with more than 10,000 low‑Earth orbit satellites. Its nearest rival, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, has just deployed its initial commercial constellation.
The pivotal role of satellite communications was underscored during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when Starlink sustained Ukrainian forces after terrestrial networks were disrupted.
More recently, Ukraine recovered roughly 400 square kilometres of territory during a spring counter‑offensive after disrupting thousands of illicit Russian Starlink terminals.
Nevertheless, despite Starlink’s contribution to limiting Russian gains in Ukraine, European policymakers have grown uneasy about relying on US‑owned operators for such a vital communications infrastructure.
In response, the EU pursued its own secure satellite connectivity initiative, IRIS², and is now advancing a European‑level spectrum allocation decision that would restrict further expansion of Starlink and Kuiper within the bloc.
\”Satellite connectivity is essential to our technological sovereignty, security, and defence, as emphasized by IRIS²,\” Thomas Regnier, the Commission’s spokesperson for technological sovereignty, told Euronews.
\”In today’s evolving geopolitical landscape, EU‑wide satellite connectivity embodies resilience, security, and capability,\” he added.
Pro-European Initiative
The Commission is set to announce its decision on Wednesday regarding the selection of operators for pan‑European mobile satellite services using the 2 GHz radio‑spectrum band, the only frequency band harmonised across the EU.
Since 2009, this band has been allocated to two European operators, Viasat and EchoStar.
Currently, the spectrum supports limited applications, such as enabling smartphones without mobile coverage to place emergency calls.
Building on recent advances, the Commission is exploring expanding these frequencies for direct‑to‑device communications, which would permit smartphones and other devices to connect directly to satellites.
However, such direct‑to‑device capabilities would enable companies like SpaceX and Amazon to compete directly with European mobile operators, offering space‑based connectivity that could render terrestrial infrastructure obsolete.
Consequently, the forthcoming decision is poised to favour European satellite operators — partners preferred by European telecoms because they do not threaten existing business models.
The decision is expected just before the Commission unveils its Tech Sovereignty Package, an initiative designed to reduce the EU’s reliance on foreign technology providers.
The U.S. Factor
The key question is whether this move will provoke the United States government, which, since Donald Trump’s return to the White House last year, has been especially assertive in defending U.S. corporate interests abroad, including within Europe.
At the Mobile World Congress in March, Brendan Carr, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, cautioned the EU against privileging European providers in satellite spectrum allocations.
\”Europe possesses national champion satellite providers that operate significantly in the United States, and we have all benefited from a fair and balanced approach. Whether this continues rests with European regulators,\” Carr remarked.
\”If Europe pursues a satellite‑sovereignty agenda that excludes non‑European providers, the United States will consider that in its approach to reciprocal treatment,\” he added.
\”Meanwhile, the Commission believes the worst‑case scenario has already been averted: last week, EU policymakers resolved their differences and reached a political agreement on the contentious EU‑US trade deal.\”
Commercial and Defence Priorities
The 2 GHz band also pits commercial interests against defence needs, as the military continually seeks to reserve spectrum for its own use.
Within the Commission, this tension manifests as a clash between EU Digital Chief Henna Virkkunen, who aligns with telecom interests, and Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.
In a recent Financial Times interview, Kubilius advocated allocating a portion of satellite frequencies to IRIS², a stance that may not be shared by the broader Commission.
Spectrum is a finite resource, and its allocation has always required balancing competing interests.
As the EU advances its domestic technology solutions, achieving the right balance — avoiding Washington’s wrath while preserving space for defence applications — will prove especially delicate.