Four of Europe’s biggest telecom operators are joining forces in satellite connectivity as they seek to strengthen Europe’s position against US-based services such as Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone have signed a letter of intent to explore a joint bid for frequencies reserved for mobile satellite services in Europe.
Their aim is to develop Direct-to-Device, or D2D, services that would allow ordinary compatible smartphones to communicate directly with satellites when conventional mobile coverage is unavailable.
Satellite connections could extend mobile coverage to remote areas where building terrestrial base stations is difficult or uneconomical. They could also provide backup communications during natural disasters, major network failures or other emergencies.
The four companies say the planned system would be open to other European mobile operators on a non-discriminatory basis rather than being restricted to their own customers.
Satellite partner still to be chosen
The telecom companies do not plan to build their own satellite constellation.
Instead, they would establish and operate key ground infrastructure in Europe and handle functions such as network integration, spectrum coordination and monitoring. A separate satellite company would provide the space-based network.
No partner has yet been selected. Czech technology publication MobilMania has named companies including Eutelsat and SES among the possible European options.
The initiative is intended to support European control over critical communications infrastructure at a time when satellite-based mobile services are developing rapidly.
Starlink already operates the world’s largest low-Earth-orbit satellite network and has been expanding technology that allows mobile phones to communicate directly with satellites.
The European project does not necessarily mean that the four operators are abandoning existing partnerships with other satellite providers. Deutsche Telekom, for example, announced earlier this year that it plans to introduce Starlink direct-to-mobile connectivity in several European markets from 2028.
The companies explicitly say their new joint initiative will not replace existing satellite partnerships.
Europe pushes for greater independence in space
The move comes as the European Union seeks to reduce its dependence on non-European providers for strategically important satellite communications.
The EU is already developing its own secure satellite network, IRIS². In August, the European Commission confirmed an expanded architecture of 348 satellites, with the first phase scheduled to begin deployment towards the end of the decade.
Eutelsat, which already operates the OneWeb low-Earth-orbit constellation, is set to play a central role in the LEO component of IRIS². The French-based company is also investing heavily in replacing and expanding its existing OneWeb fleet.
For the European telecom operators, the immediate objective is more commercial and practical: ensure that the next generation of satellite-to-phone services can be integrated into European mobile networks without leaving the key infrastructure under the control of a single foreign provider.
If successful, the project could eventually allow a European mobile subscriber who loses terrestrial coverage to remain connected through satellites using the same phone and mobile service.