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Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, and Telefónica are in early talks to form a consortium to bid for European satellite spectrum

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, and Telefónica are in early talks to publicize a consortium to bid for a portion of the 2 GHz mobile satellite services spectrum in Europe. The four operators, which serve most of the mobile customers in the EU's largest markets, aim to secure a slice of the band that the European Commission intends to reserve for a European-controlled operator. The European Commission proposed dividing the spectrum into three parts: one third for a European-controlled operator, one third for sovereign government services, and one third open to all companies. This plan aims to strengthen the bloc's sovereign satellite capabilities. The current licenses for the band, held by Viasat and EchoStar, expire in May 2027. The four carriers are organizing around this deadline. While SpaceX's Starlink dominates the direct-to-device market, the consortium seeks to leverage the European portion of the spectrum to decide whether Starlink remains a supplier or a competitor. The consortium's success depends on several factors, including whether Vodafone restructures its joint venture with AST SpaceMobile to qualify as European-controlled. The four companies are currently in the early stages of discussions and no final decisions have been made regarding the consortium or the bid.

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