European carriers plan joint satellite bid to challenge Starlink

The four operators want to control the European ground side while leaving the spacecraft network to a separate partner.

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, and Vodafone have agreed to explore a joint European direct-to-device satellite effort that would compete with SpaceX’s Starlink. The plan is to bid for spectrum and build the ground-side infrastructure in Europe, while a separate satellite operator, not yet named, would supply the spacecraft network. The carriers say the project is meant to extend coverage in underserved areas, make public networks more resilient, protect critical communications, and help develop a European constellation. The move comes as the EU has been weighing reserving part of the 2 GHz band for local satellite services, and it follows a similar carrier partnership announced in the US earlier this year by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.