The European Commission today adopted a draft regulation on the future allocation of spectrum in the 2 GHz band for mobile satellite services (MSS). The text reserves exclusively for European Union operators the provision of mobile satellite services intended for governmental uses, notably in the critical sectors of secure communications, security and defence, including the future IRIS programme. It also reserves one third of the capacity allocated to commercial uses for “EU operators entering the market”, in order “to encourage diversification of suppliers and facilitate the market entry of European players”.
This leaves only one third of the total capacity accessible to both European and non-European operators, exclusively for commercial uses, such as direct-to-device mobile connectivity services (D2D), making it possible to ensure mobile coverage in areas where terrestrial networks are not available. Commercial uses may also include energy monitoring devices and emergency response equipment.
“This proposal for a regulation is fully consistent with our draft legislation on digital networks (DNA-Digital Networks Act)”, explained the Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen, at a press conference held on Wednesday 27 May to present the proposal on the authorisation procedure for systems providing MSS in the 2 GHz band. According to the text, the Commission would be entrusted with the power to grant the authorisations necessary for the operation of satellite networks or services, as well as the authorisations for use of the spectrum concerned, including individual rights of use of spectrum in the Member States or across the Union as a whole.
The two blocks reserved “solely for European entities” will be accessible exclusively to companies “controlled by the Member States or to European companies”, Mrs Virkkunen explained. She stressed that European legislation sets out “very precise” criteria for determining what constitutes a European Union company. “We are very much looking forward to the development of public-private partnerships in this area”, she added, considering that large consortia would probably seek access to this capacity, “because many European companies are relatively small”. Mrs Virkkunen also specified that the proposal provides for the possibility of “including” neighbouring countries of the Union, such as the United Kingdom and Norway, by means of a delegated act.
Asked whether there had been prior exchanges with the US administration regarding this proposal, Henna Virkkunen acknowledged the importance of “good cooperation” worldwide in this field. She nevertheless insisted on the “transparent and fair” nature of the Commission proposal. “We have recently noted that the United States has also taken a decision concerning the allocation of its MSS band, and that it chose to keep it for the benefit of an American operator. A European operator had also expressed interest in obtaining access to this band, but its request was rejected”, she specified.
“We want to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, increase its security and seize new technological opportunities. All of this while taking into account the current particularly difficult geopolitical context”, Mrs Virkkunen concluded. She referred in particular to the development of innovative D2D satellite services as well as future sixth-generation (6G) technologies, which, in her view, offer “immense opportunities”. “That is why it is important that we strengthen our own innovation capacities and investments in this field from now on”, she said.
Spain and France had asked the Commission to give preference to European companies (see EUROPE 13873/25). In order to allow the necessary time for adoption of the text by the co-legislators and for the procedure to select future licence holders, Mrs Virkkunen confirmed that the current licences, granted in 2009 and expiring in May 2027, would be extended by “two additional years” for the benefit of the current holders, Inmarsat and EchoStar. “This extension could be subject to conditions”, the proposal text states. “It is not possible to transfer these licences to other companies”, Mrs Virkkunen added.
In 2025, SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company, announced its intention to acquire from EchoStar wireless spectrum licences for its Starlink satellite network in a deal valued at around $17 billion. (Original version in French by Ana Pisonero Hernández)