19:13Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone Plan Satellite Service
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone have signed a joint letter of intent. The companies are considering jointly applying for a future spectrum allocation for mobile satellite services in Europe. The goal is to connect phones directly to satellites in places beyond the reach of cell towers and eliminate coverage gaps. If the plan goes ahead, the service could become a European alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink system.
The initiative is also intended to cover regions without mobile service. The operators want to increase the overall resilience of networks, protect critical communications links and support the development of Europe’s satellite system. This means satellite signals will be used in areas beyond the reach of conventional mobile networks. The 4 operators involved in the project plan to build the terrestrial network infrastructure, as well as coordination and monitoring systems in Europe. The companies will not invest directly in the satellite system. A separate satellite partner, which has yet to be selected, must build the system in orbit. The partnership will combine management and market access capabilities in Europe with the satellite operator’s technology and expertise in deploying satellites.
However, the initiative is still at an early stage, and the letter of intent is not a final agreement. The operators must obtain the spectrum, build the terrestrial infrastructure and find a suitable satellite partner. Starlink works with T-Mobile in the US market and O2 in the UK. SpaceX also plans to operate as a separate mobile carrier in the future. In the US market, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon announced a similar partnership earlier this year. The operators want to pool spectrum in rural areas and zones without connectivity to increase capacity and make it easier for satellite companies to reach more customers. In May, the European Union was also considering allocating part of the 2 GHz spectrum to domestic satellite services. SpaceX claimed that the idea would negatively affect service in Ukraine.
The initiative is also intended to cover regions without mobile service. The operators want to increase the overall resilience of networks, protect critical communications links and support the development of Europe’s satellite system. This means satellite signals will be used in areas beyond the reach of conventional mobile networks. The 4 operators involved in the project plan to build the terrestrial network infrastructure, as well as coordination and monitoring systems in Europe. The companies will not invest directly in the satellite system. A separate satellite partner, which has yet to be selected, must build the system in orbit. The partnership will combine management and market access capabilities in Europe with the satellite operator’s technology and expertise in deploying satellites. However, the initiative is still at an early stage, and the letter of intent is not a final agreement. The operators must obtain the spectrum, build the terrestrial infrastructure and find a suitable satellite partner. Starlink works with T-Mobile in the US market and O2 in the UK. SpaceX also plans to operate as a separate mobile carrier in the future. In the US market, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon announced a similar partnership earlier this year. The operators want to pool spectrum in rural areas and zones without connectivity to increase capacity and make it easier for satellite companies to reach more customers. In May, the European Union was also considering allocating part of the 2 GHz spectrum to domestic satellite services. SpaceX claimed that the idea would negatively affect service in Ukraine.