The European Union’s initiative to limit satellite frequencies could jeopardize the stability of Starlink communications in Ukraine. Because of this, Elon Musk’s American company SpaceX sharply criticized Brussels' intentions to close access to promising spectrum to foreign providers.
The European Union’s initiative to limit satellite frequencies could jeopardize the stability of Starlink communications in Ukraine. Because of this, Elon Musk’s American company SpaceX sharply criticized Brussels' intentions to close access to promising spectrum to foreign providers.
This is stated in a company document that SpaceX provided to European officials and which was reviewed by the Financial Times.
The crux of the conflict lies in the European Commission’s May proposal to reserve part of the 2 GHz frequency band for European operators. This spectrum allows ordinary smartphones to connect directly to satellites (Direct-to-Cell technology). Brussels' proposal effectively closes the European market to American and Chinese providers. Currently, this band is used by two American companies — Viasat and EchoStar, and SpaceX is actively developing its own services in it.
SpaceX believes that the EU’s protectionist plan prioritizes the country of registration of the operator over economic, technical and regulatory realities. The company’s representatives warn that an attempt to artificially divide frequencies will lead to technical problems of a global scale.
«This proposal creates a significant possibility that Europeans will be left without direct-to-device satellite services or that new European operations will cause global interference issues, particularly for emergency services such as those operating in Ukraine,» the SpaceX document states.
EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen has defended the initiative, saying the bloc is seeking to strengthen its own space capabilities. But other negotiators have unofficially confirmed that European officials have deliberately tried to limit the impact of the Starlink platform.
The European Commission’s proposal is currently being negotiated with member states and the European Parliament. Sources close to SpaceX say the company is still hoping to ease regulations. It builds on concerns already expressed by several European governments and major telecom operators interested in quickly deploying global satellite communications without unnecessary regulatory barriers.
Recall that in early June, the telecommunications operator Kyivstar officially launched the sale of Starlink high-speed satellite Internet services for corporate clients and government institutions. At the first stage, companies can already order connection and activation of services, while the delivery of the terminals themselves will begin in the near future.
