Alliance to offer satellite services this is the initiative being negotiated by Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom, Orange and Vodafone through the possible creation of a European consortium. The companies are studying offering direct connectivity to mobile phones and competing for a portion of the satellite spectrum that the European Union intends to reserve for operators on the continent.
According to information attributed by Bloomberg News to sources familiar with the talks, the four operators are analyzing the possibility of submitting a joint bid for the 2 gigahertz (GHz) frequencies that Brussels plans to reserve for European companies.
For now, the talks are in their initial stages, and no final decision has been made regarding the creation of the consortium or the submission of a potential bid. Vodafone, Orange, and Telefónica have declined to comment, while Deutsche Telekom has also not publicly confirmed the plans.
Alliance to offer satellite services targets the 2 GHz spectrum
Specifically, the potential consortium would seek access to the 2 GHz spectrum intended to facilitate direct connections between satellites and mobile phones this technology would allow for expanded coverage beyond conventional terrestrial networks and bring connectivity to areas where mobile infrastructure is limited or nonexistent. The strategy also aligns with the European Union’s plans to allocate a larger share of the satellite spectrum to companies within the continent, Brussels aims to strengthen its own space communication capabilities and reduce its dependence on foreign providers.
In May, the European Commission announced its plans to allocate two-thirds of the spectrum associated with the IRIS² multi-orbit constellation to commercial activities. This capacity would be divided between operators from the European Union and companies from outside the bloc. If the alliance materializes, Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and Vodafone would compete precisely for the portion reserved for European operators.
IRIS² strengthens Europe’s satellite autonomy
Furthermore, the project is directly related to IRIS², the European infrastructure designed to expand secure connectivity capabilities through a multi-orbit network. The constellation comprises 290 satellites and is being developed by the European Commission in conjunction with a consortium made up of SES, Eutelsat, and HispaSat. Its development forms part of the EU’s strategy to establish its own satellite infrastructure in the face of the growing dominance of major international operators.
In this scenario, IRIS² is emerging as one of the main European contenders against commercial networks such as Starlink, the platform of SpaceX it has gained ground in the satellite connectivity market and accelerated the interest of governments and telecommunications companies in integrating terrestrial mobile networks with space-based systems. Furthermore, a portion of the 2 GHz spectrum will continue to be allocated to government and military communications, this distribution underscores the importance Brussels places on satellite communications within its autonomy and security strategy.
Europe is preparing a new scenario for satellite telephony
Currently, the process is also contingent upon the European licenses of Viasat and EchoStar, which are valid until May 2027. The updated regulatory framework will allow Brussels to define which operators will subsequently be able to use these frequencies to provide mobile satellite services. In this context, an alliance between four of Europe’s largest telecommunications companies could position them favorably for future spectrum allocation.
The combination of traditional mobile networks with satellite connectivity also opens a new chapter for the telecommunications sector. Operators could extend their coverage through direct satellite links and reduce their exclusive reliance on terrestrial antennas in certain regions. However, the initiative still depends on the outcome of talks between Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and Vodafone, as well as the final conditions established by the European Union for spectrum allocation.
If negotiations progress, the consortium would represent a joint response from major European telecoms to the growth of direct-to-mobile satellite services and would strengthen the participation of companies from the continent in the future space communications infrastructure.
Source: Reuters
Photo: Shutterstock
