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- European 2GHz satellite spectrum likely to be divided into European and non-European allocations
- Starlink and Amazon Leo could bid for space in the remaining third from May 2027
- UK and Norway will be permitted to bid for space in the European two-thirds allocation
While the European Commission plans to reserve around two-thirds of the 2GHz mobile satellite spectrum for European companies, non-EU rivals are reportedly scrambling to snap up the remaining third.
And none other than Elon Musk's Starlink and Amazon's Leo, formerly Project Kuiper, are rushing to acquire the remaining allocation.
There will, of course, be some exceptions to the EU-only rule in that UK and Norway companies will also be able to bid for space on the European two-thirds allocation, leaving that remaining third up for grabs by some of the biggest players in the game.
One-third of European allocation likely to be snapped up by Starlink, Amazon Leo
At the moment, the spectrum is held by US firms Viasat and EchoStar, whose contracts come to an end in one year. Rather than renewing them, Europe's restructured allocation rules will not only give European companies a fighting chance to acquire space, but it will also enable other non-EU companies to bid for space.
IRIS2, a 290-satellite constellation, will be among the European schemes to get space under the two-thirds allocation, an exclusive Reuters report details.
Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier cited "resilience, security, and capability" when asked for comment – the Commission's recent efforts to improve European company market share and to reduce reliance on US tech giants has not gone unnoticed across the entire industry.
The report also introduces the possibility of reserving the entire spectrum for European companies, however Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy VP Henna Virkkunen is believed to have expressed a desire not to exclude any company from the bids, hence the likely third/two-thirds proposal.
More details are expected to come from the Commission soon, however no update was provided at the time of writing.
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