SpaceX criticises EU plan to reserve two-thirds of 2GHz band

TL;DR

• SpaceX criticised a European Commission plan that would allocate only one-third of the 2GHz satellite spectrum band to companies based outside the European Union.
• According to Bloomberg, SpaceX said the proposal would split spectrum into unusable parts and could limit direct-to-device satellite services in Europe.
• SpaceX also said reserving airwaves for the IRIS2 constellation could create interference risks and affect connectivity, including emergency services in Ukraine.

SpaceX criticised a European Commission spectrum proposal reported by Bloomberg that would allocate only one-third of the 2GHz band to companies based outside the European Union, while reserving the remaining two-thirds for companies based in the bloc.

Bloomberg reported that SpaceX said the proposal would effectively exclude foreign companies from offering satellite services to governments and would affect the expansion of Starlink direct-to-device services in Europe. Direct-to-device refers to satellite connectivity delivered straight to standard mobile phones. SpaceX has already signed partnerships with Deutsche Telekom and Orange for Starlink direct-to-device services.

SpaceX said the European Commission’s plan would split spectrum into “virtually unusable sub-divided parts” and argued the approach was inconsistent with international regulations and Europe’s international obligations. SpaceX also objected to a plan to reserve airwaves for the IRIS2 constellation, saying this could leave Europeans without direct-to-device satellite services or create global interference problems, including for emergency services in Ukraine.

European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said reserving allocations for local operators would encourage supplier diversification and incentivise market entry. Henna Virkkunen also said the 2GHz band was important for Europe’s competitiveness, security, and technology sovereignty.

Related questions

• What share of the 2GHz band would the European Commission allocate to non-EU companies?
• Why does SpaceX say the EU spectrum proposal could affect direct-to-device services?
• Which European operators have partnered with SpaceX for Starlink direct-to-device services?
• What did Henna Virkkunen say about reserving spectrum for local operators?