Starlink and Amazon May Be Able To Buy Into EU Mobile Satellite Spectrum Plan (reuters.com)
- Reference: 0183425010
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/05/27/0038228/starlink-and-amazon-may-be-able-to-buy-into-eu-mobile-satellite-spectrum-plan
- Source link: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/european-companies-set-receive-two-thirds-future-mobile-satellite-spectrum-rest-2026-05-26/
> Elon Musk's Starlink and Amazon's low-earth-orbit satellite business [1]may be able to acquire some European mobile satellite spectrum next year , two people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday. But they said two-thirds of the satellite spectrum that allows mobile devices and vehicles to communicate seamlessly even in remote locations, would be reserved for European companies.
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> U.S. companies Viasat and EchoStar hold licenses that are due to expire in May 2027 and the European Commission has been considering how to allocate future spectrum at the same time as the bloc pushes to reduce reliance on U.S. tech. The European Union's IRIS2 multi-orbit array of 290 satellites, a response to Starlink, will be among the European companies to receive some spectrum, the sources said. British and Norwegian companies can also bid for a license, the people said. Details of the proposal, set to be announced on Wednesday, could still change at a meeting of commissioners on the day, one of the sources.
Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said EU-wide satellite connectivity was "synonymous with resilience, security, and capability" given the current geopolitical context.
"Satellite connectivity is a key piece of our technological sovereignty, our security, and our defense, as also highlighted by IRIS2," he added.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/european-companies-set-receive-two-thirds-future-mobile-satellite-spectrum-rest-2026-05-26/
Not a chance (Score:3)
One of the Nordic companies just stopped in American company from buying into their tech sector. Europe no longer trusts America enough to let them buy into things like this. Their governments will just block it.
Elon Musk was already a national security risk when he interfered with the Ukraine war. Remember Europe needs Ukraine to be independent and beholden to the rest of Europe because they need Ukraine's grain because climate change is fucking shit up no matter what your asshole crazy uncle says.
So I predict this will go fucking nowhere no matter how big the bribes are. And the bribes will be very large. But we are starting to get to the point where the failing empire that is America is going to have to start doing expansionism in order to loot other countries and fill its coffers just like every other failing empire. And that will start with Canada and South America but it will eventually have to include the rest of the world because that's just how failing empires work. Europe is going to start getting ready for that.
Re: (Score:2)
I suppose it depends if the EU has anything better to do with the spectrum. They will have to pay for it, and will be regulated by the EU, and pay tax there. They can always be cut off later if they don't behave.
The main thing is to make sure that it doesn't stifle EU rivals.
Re: (Score:3)
Dude, the more I see what you write, the more I see that you are a know-nothing know-it-all. Ukrainian grain is generally exported to the middle east and Africa. Europe harvests more than enough grain. France alone can easily fulfill all European needs in this regard and France is nowhere near the sole cereal crop producer in Europe. For example, the EU supplies 25% of the world wheat exports - and that is excluding the domestic market. There are far more important reasons for Ukraine staying independent th
Article does not mention the frequencies (Score:2)
The article does not mention the frequencies being used.
Viasat already has extensive coverage of the EU already in Ka-band, but not in low-orbit. So does Echostar in the S-band, also not in low-orbit.
So, my questions are: what frequencies and at what altitude?
This helps EU digital sovereignty? (Score:2)
I can't help but think some of the higher ups will have a problem with this. The EU has started making a push for "digital sovereignty" so it seems like it would be a massive conflict to turn over control of key infrastructure like communications to a foreign company.
However, I could see this going through if the deal is for one or more EU companies to use them to bounce their own connection signals. Relying on foreign companies would still represent a potential single point of failure but this also creates
Re: (Score:2)
from what? The EU have never said that no American tech company should be able to operate in the EU, that is just the voices in you head speaking.
> two-thirds of the satellite spectrum that allows mobile devices and vehicles to communicate seamlessly even in remote locations, would be reserved for European companies
So we are also only taking about 1/3 of the licenses, which the EU have opened up for non EU members which includes the US but also includes the UK and Norway.
> British and Norwegian companies can also bid for a licence, the people said.
So again I ask, what did the EU chicken out of exactly?