EU Spectrum Decision Prioritizes European Satellite Operators

The European Commission will adopt a decision this week to allocate the 2 GHz mobile-satellite band exclusively to European providers, limiting further expansion of U.S. constellations Starlink and Project Kuiper in the EU market.

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Satellite links proved essential during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where Starlink kept communications alive after ground networks failed. EU seeks to curb reliance on non-European operators, launching the IRIS² satellite network under a “tech sovereignty” agenda. Key actors are Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier, digital chief Henna Virkkunen, Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, European operators Viasat and EchoStar, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.

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Starlink operates over 10,000 satellites, dominating the market. The 2 GHz band, allocated to European operators since 2009, supports emergency calls and will enable direct-to-device access. Regnier said satellite connectivity underpins EU sovereignty, security and defence, linking the allocation to IRIS². Within the Commission, Virkkunen backs commercial use while Kubilius pushes for a defence-oriented slice, and the EU notes that a recent EU-US trade-deal settlement may soften US pushback.

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The allocation will shape the EU’s capacity for communications, protect defence bandwidth and reduce reliance on foreign satellites, while testing the balance between commercial, security and diplomatic priorities. FCC Chairman Carr warned that favouring European providers could strain transatlantic ties and that the United States expects a “fair and even-handed approach,” cautioning that exclusion of non-European operators might affect reciprocal treatment for US firms in Europe. Sources do not give a quantitative estimate of the impact on Starlink or Kuiper, nor the exact share of the band reserved for IRIS².

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• “Satellite connectivity is a key piece of our technological sovereignty, our security, and our defence, as also highlighted by IRIS²,” — Thomas Regnier, Commission spokesperson for tech sovereignty.

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• “In the changing geopolitical situation, EU-wide satellite connectivity becomes synonymous with resilience, security, and capability.” — Thomas Regnier, Commission spokesperson for tech sovereignty.

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• “Europe has national champion satellite providers that do substantial business in the US. And I think we have all benefited from a fair and even-handed approach. And whether we get to continue to do that, frankly, is in the hands of European regulators right now,” — Brendan Carr, FCC Chairman.

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• “If Europe insists on going down a path of satellite sovereignty that excludes providers that are not based in the continent, then the US will have to be taking that into account with respect to the reciprocal treatment that we provide.” — Brendan Carr, FCC Chairman.

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The Commission will finalize the allocation before unveiling the Tech Sovereignty Package later this month, while monitoring the US response.

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