European telecom giants team up to challenge Starlink in satellite race

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, and Telefónica are negotiating a consortium to bid for European Union satellite spectrum, aiming to challenge Starlink's dominance with direct-to-mobile connectivity services. This move could curb Starlink's influence in Europe. The consortium plans to submit a single bid for 2 GHz spectrum that the European Commission intends to reserve for a European operator. This is part of Brussels' broader strategy to boost satellite autonomy, following May plans to allocate most mobile satellite spectrum to European firms. No final decisions have been made, and the companies declined to comment. The spectrum is linked to the IRIS2 constellation, Europe's Starlink rival, with two-thirds of commercial satellites reserved for European and non-European operators.