SpaceX slams Europe satellite spectrum plan

SpaceX reportedly hit out at a European Commission (EC) plan for distributing satellite spectrum across the bloc, warning current proposals could directly impact connectivity with mobile devices.

Bloomberg reported it had seen a statement from Elon Musk’s rocket company which takes aim at an EC plan to offer only a third of its 2GHz frequency band to companies outside the European Union (EU), keeping the remaining amount for those based in the bloc.

The outlet said the proposal effectively excludes foreign companies, like SpaceX, from offering satellite services to governments and will directly impact the expansion of its Starlink connectivity play.

SpaceX has established a presence in Europe, striking partnerships with European operators including Deutsche Telekom and Orange to offer Starlink D2D services to customers.

However, SpaceX said the EC’s plans will split spectrum “in virtually unusable sub-divided parts”.

It apparently added intentions are inconsistent with international regulations and do not adhere to “Europe’s international obligations and economic reality”.

Ukraine concern
Another bone of contention is an EC aim to reserve airwaves for the Europe IRIS2 constellation, with SpaceX arguing this could risk poorer connectivity in Ukraine where Starlink has been used during the country’s war with Russia.

“The proposal creates a significant likelihood that Europeans will be left without direct-to-device satellite services or that new European operations will create global interference problems, including to emergency services like those in Ukraine,” read the statement.

When outlining the plans, EC EVP Henna Virkkunen said earmarking allocations to local operators would encourage diversification of suppliers and incentivise entry into the market.

She also said the 2GHz band was vital for boosting Europe’s competitiveness, security, and fits in with an ongoing drive around technology sovereignty.