Story perspectives

EU reserves 2/3 spectrum, opens 1/3; Amazon buys Globalstar

5/28/2026

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Summary

EU Commission Reserves

The European Commission will reserve two-thirds of the 2 GHz satellite spectrum for EU operators and open the remaining third to non-EU bidders.
The auction will start in 2027 after approval on 26-27 May 2026.
IRIS² gets priority on the EU-reserved portion, while Starlink and Leo can bid for the non-EU third.
Viasat and EchoStar receive a two-year extension past May 2027, while Amazon bought Globalstar for $11.57 billion in April 2026.

Summary

Ribera Warns

Alba Ribera Martínez warned Europe faces a €1 trillion cloud-infrastructure gap versus the United States.
Statista shows Amazon 28%, Microsoft 21% and Google 14% of the cloud market while European rivals remain in single-digit shares.
The Competitive Carriers Association, with members Amazon and Google, warned that excluding non-EU firms could trigger protectionism.
Analysts say the spectrum plan could boost OVHCloud and Deutsche Telekom while leaving SpaceX inferior in the EU market.

History

Historical Context

The EU’s Radio Spectrum Policy Programme, a five-year plan adopted on 14 March 2012 by the European Council and Parliament, aimed to harmonise spectrum use and earmark the 2 GHz band for mobile broadband. A 2013 amendment sought to eliminate national allocation differences, and the 2016 European Electronic Communications Code embedded those rules, paving the way for today’s IRIS² reservation.

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EU Commission Reserves

The European Commission will reserve two-thirds of the 2 GHz satellite spectrum for EU operators and open the remaining third to non-EU bidders.
The auction will start in 2027 after approval on 26-27 May 2026.
IRIS² gets priority on the EU-reserved portion, while Starlink and Leo can bid for the non-EU third.
Viasat and EchoStar receive a two-year extension past May 2027, while Amazon bought Globalstar for $11.57 billion in April 2026.

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