Europe’s largest operators discuss forming a consortium to compete with Starlink

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, and Telefonica are in preliminary talks about forming a consortium to jointly bid for satellite spectrum and provide direct-to-device communication services across Europe.

This was reported by Bloomberg.

The four operators — among the continent’s largest mobile companies — intend to jointly bid for a share of 2 gigahertz of frequencies that the European Union has proposed reserving for a local operator. The information was disclosed by knowledgeable sources who asked not to be named, as the talks are confidential. No final decisions have been made on forming a consortium or participating in a tender.

If realized, the initiative would create a European competitor to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service and would align with the EU’s broader push to develop sovereign satellite communications capabilities. The bloc is exploring ways to strengthen communications infrastructure, including a model in which satellite operators interact with terrestrial mobile networks to deliver connectivity directly to users’ devices.

The talks are taking place against the backdrop of direct-to-device satellite technology gaining momentum in Europe. Telefonica announced earlier this year a partnership with Satellite Connect Europe — a company registered in Luxembourg — to develop satellite services for consumers, businesses, and government entities in Spain and Germany. Orange has partnered with AST SpaceMobile and Satellite Connect Europe to conduct voice, SMS, and data demonstrations in Romania.

Vodafone and Orange declined to comment on the Bloomberg report, while Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica did not respond to journalists’ requests. Before any formal proposal or large-scale deployment can be discussed, the companies still need to resolve technical, regulatory, and commercial issues.