Telefónica, Deutsche Telekom, Orange and Vodafone signed a letter of intent to study a possible joint bid for future European mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum, Europa Press reported on Oct. 22. The proposal would bring the four operators together around ground infrastructure and access to satellite-to-device services.
What the four operators plan to do
The proposed service would use Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity, which links a device directly to a satellite. The four operators would build key ground infrastructure and manage coordination and oversight, while offering mobile network operators open, non-discriminatory access to D2D services.
On Oct. 22, Spain’s Minister for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, Óscar López, praised Telefónica’s participation at the ninth Foro Alianza por el Desarrollo del Talento Digital, organized by Ametic. He said the alliance should reduce dependence on a single operator.
Who would provide the satellite constellation?
A satellite partner would supply the constellation. Europa Press reported on Oct. 22 that the partner remained to be selected. Cinco Días named AST SpaceMobile as a possible provider. The operators’ letter was described as complementary to their existing satellite alliances.
What RTVE reported about satellite dependence
RTVE Noticias reported that Ukrainian authorities said Starlink limited drone connection speeds when drones traveled above 100 km/h. The broadcaster also said the European Union could not dispense with U.S. satellite technology in the short term.
