In the EU, there are calls for leading European players to create a new “alliance” to strengthen collective satellite capabilities. The EU is considering preferences in frequency allocation.
European players are joining forces to curb the dominance of the American giant in the satellite communications industry. Politico reported on how "Europe plans to push Starlink out."
"Taking the stage at the International Space Summit in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron called on leading European players to create a new 'alliance' to strengthen collective satellite capabilities. The real target of the 'let's unite' message? Elon Musk's Starlink," the publication says.
Macron's speech last month, the publication notes, "was a public endorsement of behind-the-scenes efforts that would see the bloc's major telecommunications companies make an aggressive push for direct-to-device connectivity—mobile signals transmitted directly from satellites to phones."
On Tuesday, communications ministers from EU national governments gathered in Ireland to discuss a legislative proposal that could make it easier for leading European operators to access satellites.
According to the publication, the initiative "envisages Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone and Telefónica joining forces to secure critical and desirable frequencies that will become available next year, as the European Commission considers a new allocation procedure that would reserve frequencies for European players." The plan, reported by Bloomberg before Macron's September 10 speech, was confirmed by two sources familiar with the negotiations.
"We are looking at this issue," said Mikael Trabbia, a senior executive at French telecommunications group Orange, in an interview, declining to comment further on the plans. "As a leading, innovative telecommunications group, we want to be able to offer this service to our customers. We do not want to have one dominant player."
Vodafone declined to comment, while Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica did not respond to requests for comment.
The future of space, the publication writes, is attracting attention in Europe as geopolitical conflicts increase its strategic importance, while security requirements and technological advances create business opportunities.
Musk has made it clear that Starlink seeks to deepen its dominance in low Earth orbit, where satellites fly close to Earth to provide faster connectivity. The company hopes to obtain these valuable frequencies in order to offer mobile services without having to cooperate with local telecommunications providers.
SpaceX, Starlink's parent company, did not respond to a request for comment, it was reported.
