Europe’s largest operators discuss satellite connectivity with mobile phones
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone Group and Telefonica are holding preliminary talks on creating a consortium to participate in bidding for satellite radio frequency spectrum and provide satellite communications services directly to mobile phones. Channel NewsAsia reports that the Reuters article cites Bloomberg News and sources familiar with the matter.
Joint bid for frequencies
According to Bloomberg News, the operators could jointly seek a portion of a 2-gigahertz radio frequency band. The European Union has proposed reserving it for a local operator to strengthen sovereign satellite capabilities.
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No final decisions on creating the consortium or submitting a bid have yet been made. Vodafone and Orange declined to comment, while Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Potential competition with Starlink
If implemented, the initiative could create a competitor in Europe to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service. The project also aligns with the EU’s course toward developing sovereign satellite communications.
