Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, and Vodafone have announced plans to pursue a collaborative approach to direct-to-device satellite services across Europe. The four carriers have signed a letter of intent indicating they intend to jointly pursue spectrum that would enable them to compete with existing satellite offerings in the region.
Under the proposed structure, the four telecom operators would develop and manage ground network infrastructure, as well as coordination and monitoring functions within Europe. A separate satellite operator, to be selected at a later date, would provide the actual satellite constellation. This division of responsibilities would allow the European carriers to leverage their existing network expertise while relying on a dedicated partner’s satellite technology and deployment capabilities.
The initiative aims to expand service availability in areas with limited connectivity, enhance network resilience, and strengthen critical communications infrastructure across Europe. The partnership would combine local governance and market access with established satellite operations and technical expertise.
This European effort follows a similar collaboration announced earlier this year among American carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, which agreed to combine spectrum resources in rural regions and coverage gaps to improve capacity and customer experience. The EU had previously indicated consideration of reserving portions of the 2 GHz frequency band for local satellite service providers, a proposal that has faced criticism from international operators concerned about potential service impacts.
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