Major European mobile carriers are teaming up for a ‘direct’ satellite program without Starlink

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, and Vodafone signed a letter of intent saying they’re considering a joint bid for spectrum that would support European direct-to-device satellite competition for SpaceX’s Starlink. The four telecom companies say they would handle the ground infrastructure while a separate, unannounced satellite partner provides the satellite constellation: > The joint initiative by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone has a clear ambition: to meet customer demand for universal coverage in underserved areas, strengthen the resilience of public networks, protect critical communications, and support the development of a European constellation. > As part of the project, the four operators plan to establish key ground network infrastructure as well as critical coordination and monitoring functions in Europe, without investing directly in a satellite constellation. This will be provided by a satellite partner still to be selected. > The partnership between the MNO-led initiative and the satellite operator would combine European governance and market access with proven satellite technology and deployment expertise. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon announced their own collaboration in the US earlier this year that would combine spectrum in rural areas and dead zones “to increase capacity, improve the customer experience, and help satellite providers reach more customers through a unified platform.” In May, the EU said it was considering a plan to reserve some of the 2 GHz band for local companies to offer satellite services, an idea that SpaceX has criticized, claiming it would worsen service in Ukraine, reports FT.