Vodafone CEO sets out satellite game plan

Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle used the MWC26 Barcelona stage to press for common safety and security rules before mobile operators ramp up satellite services. She argued the sector does not lack ideas, engineering talent or funding, but clear standards, warning that individual operators taking excessive risks could undermine customer trust and damage the wider industry. Della Valle called for international coordination between technology companies, investors and policymakers to prevent what she described as a “wild west in the sky”.

Vodafone also confirmed that operators in ten European markets, including Orange and Telefónica, have agreed to collaborate on satellite connectivity via AST SpaceMobile under the Satellite Connect Europe initiative. In parallel, Deutsche Telekom announced plans to expand coverage using direct satellite connectivity in partnership with Starlink, underlining a broader shift among European operators toward space-based mobile coverage.