The European Commission expressed concerns about the reservation within the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) of the radio frequencies needed for the proper functioning of government and commercial services in the future ‘connectivity’ constellation, in an exchange with MEPs from the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), on Thursday 2 June.
Responding to the French MEP, Christophe Grudler (Renew Europe), who is also the rapporteur on the satellite constellation project (see EUROPE 12928/25), Catherine Kavvada, Director of Space Development and Innovation at the European Commission’s DG DEFIS, confirmed that the time available to reserve these frequencies was not unlimited.
“Without frequency, satellite constellations cannot be set up. Today, on the government side, we have secured the frequencies, but as you say, the frequencies are not there forever. Deployment must begin! Is 2024 a decisive year? I would say yes and no. We have small margins, but we can’t waste time”, she said.
And she added: “In addition to the government frequencies, there are commercial frequencies to be deployed in the second part of this constellation. And there we have more difficulties, because the market requires rapid deployment”.
Thus, the European Commission wants to go very fast and launch the first services as early as 2024 to reach full exploitation of the constellation by 2028. A timetable on which Mr Grudler expressed some doubt in view of the complexity of the system, which will be multi-orbital and interoperable with other existing European programmes.
However, a source explained, there is a major issue: the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) only keeps the frequencies for a defined period of 7 years. If the frequency is not used, it returns to the “common pot” of available international frequencies.
The problem is that these frequencies are limited in number and states, particularly China, and private operators are fighting a real battle to reserve them.
Especially since not all frequencies have the same quality and performance. There are the “so-called golden frequencies”, which carry far and have a very high throughput. And our source concludes: “you can have the best technology you want, without frequency you have nothing”.
Concerns and needs for clarification
Responding to Massimiliano Salini (EPP, Italy), former rapporteur on the EU space programme, the senior official assured that the constellation will not interfere with existing programmes, notably the GovSatCom programme. On the contrary, this programme will be improved and strengthened by the constellation, she stressed, recalling that the constellation is “a system of systems”, a kind of “Swiss Army knife”. The constellation will also help to improve the signal of Galileo and the accuracy of Copernicus, and this with only 200 satellites.
Replying to Niklas Nienass (Greens/EFA, Germany), Ms Kavvada said that the issue of environmental impact is taken into account in particular in the concession contracts, which will contain provisions in line with the principles recently laid down in the communication of the Space Traffic Management (STM).
Governance between the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the EU Space Programme Agency (EUSPA) was also mentioned by Evžen Tošenovský (ECR, Czech Republic). Here, Ms Kavvada assured that the Commission intended to make the most of the know-how of EUSPA, based in Prague, in the operational and security field. Finally, the senior official guaranteed that public procurement will be accessible to SMEs and start-ups in order to create a European ‘New Space’.
Mr Grudler’s text is expected to be presented to MEPs on 14 June. The deadline for the tabling of amendments is 16 June. MEPs will discuss the amendments in committee in mid-July. The vote on the report and mandate is scheduled for October (see EUROPE 12956/18). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)