European Commission Reserves Portion of Critical MSS Spectrum for EU Operators

Under the revised proposal, the band will be split among multiple operators, with one third reserved for an EU operator to deliver government, security, and military critical communications integrated with the IRIS² programme.

The European Commission has adopted a proposal establishing how it will select the entities to hold licences for critical Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum across Europe. The proposal, adopted on Tuesday, governs licences for the 2 GHz MSS band, a portion of spectrum harmonised across the European Union, with current authorisations due to expire in May 2027.

The spectrum has been in use since 2009, when the Commission selected Inmarsat, now part of Viasat, and Solaris, now part of EchoStar, to operate within the band. EchoStar's holding forms part of the spectrum acquisition by SpaceX that is presently underway. With the existing authorisations set to lapse next year, the Commission must determine who will gain access to this strategically significant spectrum.

Under the proposal, which introduces changes from the previous selection round, the band will be divided among multiple operators. One third of the block will be reserved for an EU operator to deliver government use across critical communications, security, and military applications, integrated with the IRIS² programme. The remaining two thirds will be allocated for commercial use, encompassing direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity for mobile devices as well as Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The commercial portion will be split equally, with half reserved for new EU operators and half open to both EU and non-EU operators.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, described the decision as a significant advance. She stated:

"Our proposal will allow provision of satellite and terrestrial connectivity directly to our mobile devices, ensuring that all areas in the EU, and namely those where terrestrial networks are unavailable, are equipped with voice and broadband internet connectivity. Satellite connectivity is also crucial for our governmental services and Europe's critical communications." 

Entities awarded authorisation will be subject to financial obligations. According to the adopted proposal, an annual fee will be levied to discourage spectrum hoarding, and applicants are required to state their proposed one-time financial contribution should they be selected. The Commission is also seeking business models offering wholesale access to satellite capacity or spectrum for mobile virtual network operators, with the aim of encouraging new market entrants and fostering competition.

Several operators have already begun positioning themselves for access to the band. AST SpaceMobile, for instance, established a European joint venture with Vodafone last year, named SatCo, to stand as a candidate for the EU 2 GHz MSS band.