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Europe’s biggest mobile operators in talks for satellite-to-mobile venture, Bloomberg News reports - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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Europe’s biggest mobile operators in talks for satellite-to-mobile venture, Bloomberg News reports

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on September 7, 2026

2 min read

· Last updated: September 7, 2026

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Europe’s Top Mobile Operators Explore Satellite-to-Mobile Consortium for EU Spectrum

Consortium Discussions and EU Satellite Spectrum Plans

Early Talks Among Major Mobile Operators

Sept 7 (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone Group and Telefonica are in early talks to create a consortium to bid on European Union satellite spectrum and offer direct-to-mobile services, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. 

Joint Bid for EU Spectrum

The group would jointly bid for a share of 2 gigahertz airwaves that the EU has proposed reserving for a local operator, a plan aimed at increasing sovereign satellite capabilities, the report added.

Status of Consortium and Industry Responses

No final decisions on the consortium or plans to bid have been made, Bloomberg said.

Vodafone, Orange, and Telefonica declined to comment, while Deutsche Telekom did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

EU Satellite Spectrum Allocation and IRIS² Initiative

In May, the European Union announced plans to allocate the bulk of valuable satellite spectrum for mobile phone service to European companies while reducing the share that U.S. operators can acquire, in a push to promote domestic businesses and reduce reliance on Big Tech.

Commercial Use and Operator Division

The European Commission designated two-thirds of the spectrum on the bloc's IRIS² multi-orbit array of 290 satellites for commercial use, divided equally between EU and non-EU operators.

The consortium would bid on the EU operator portion.

IRIS²: Europe’s Response to Starlink

IRIS² is Europe's response to Starlink, and is led by the European Commission and a consortium made up of SES SA, Eutelsat and HispaSat.

(Reporting by Natalia Bueno Rebolledo in Mexico City; Editing by Jan Harvey and Cynthia Osterman)

Key Takeaways

  • Major European mobile operators are exploring a joint bid to access 2 GHz mobile satellite spectrum reserved by the EU for commercial use under IRIS² – a move to ensure EU sovereign connectivity.
  • The IRIS² constellation, a multi‑orbit system of 348 satellites in LEO and MEO, aims for dual governmental and commercial applications, with full operational deployment by around 2030.
  • This initiative reflects EU policy to prioritize European firms in mobile satellite services (particularly D2D), reducing reliance on US operators like Starlink.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which companies are involved in talks for a satellite-to-mobile consortium?
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone Group, and Telefonica are in early talks to create a consortium to bid for European Union satellite spectrum.
What is the main goal of the proposed consortium?
The consortium aims to bid for 2 gigahertz of EU-reserved satellite spectrum to offer direct-to-mobile services and enhance Europe's satellite capabilities.
What is IRIS² and how does it relate to this venture?
IRIS² is the European Union's satellite array initiative for commercial and non-commercial use, providing spectrum that the proposed consortium would bid on.
How is the EU managing its satellite spectrum allocation?
The EU is allocating two-thirds of the IRIS² satellite spectrum for commercial use, equally split between EU and non-EU operators, to support European companies.
Has a final decision been made about the consortium or bidding plans?
No final decisions have been made yet on forming the consortium or submitting a bid for the satellite spectrum.

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