[EXPLANATORY] Why does the European Commission want new rules for satellites that connect phones directly from space

The European Commission has proposed a new regulation for the authorization of mobile satellite services in the harmonized 2 GHz band, a radio resource used for communications between mobile devices and satellites. In simple terms, the file establishes who will be able to use this band after 2027, under what conditions, with what security obligations, and for what types of services.

The stakes go beyond the telecommunications sector. The 2 GHz band can enable Direct-to-Device services, meaning direct links between satellites and mobile phones, tablets, or other common devices. This technology can provide connectivity in areas without terrestrial networks, can maintain communications in the event of a disaster, and can support secure government services for civil protection, defense, public security, and crisis management.

In short

The European Commission proposes a single authorization at the level of the European Union for mobile satellite services in the 2 GHz band.

Current authorizations expire in May 2027, and the old framework from 2008 is considered outdated due to technological, commercial, and geopolitical developments.

One third of the band would be reserved for secure government communications, including for security, defense, civil protection, and crisis situations.

Two thirds of the band would be used for commercial services, including direct connectivity to phones, internet in areas without terrestrial coverage, and Internet of Things applications.

The proposal treats satellite spectrum as a strategic infrastructure for the single market, security, resilience, technological autonomy, and the competitiveness of the European industry.

What is the 2 GHz band

The 2 GHz band targeted by the proposal covers frequencies from 1,980 to 2,010 MHz for communications from Earth to satellite and from 2,170 to 2,200 MHz for communications from satellite to Earth. It is a harmonized band in the European Union for mobile satellite services.

This band matters because it has useful technical characteristics for mobile services. The Commission describes it as suitable for Direct-to-Device, as it can support the direct connection of phones and other common devices to satellites, without special equipment for the user.

In practice, this means that a phone could remain connected in rural, mountainous, maritime, isolated, or crisis-affected areas, where traditional mobile networks do not exist or no longer function.

What is Direct-to-Device

Direct-to-Device means direct connectivity between satellite and the user's device. It is not just about satellite internet in the traditional sense, which involves antennas or special terminals, but about integrating satellites into the mobile communications ecosystem.

New satellite constellations, especially those in low Earth orbit, can function as a complement to terrestrial networks. In the Commission's document, these constellations are functionally compared to mobile communication towers, as they can enable hybrid terrestrial-satellite systems and future converged 6G mobile networks.

For the public, the difference is significant. The satellite is no longer just infrastructure for planes, ships, the military, or specialized communications. It can become an extension of mobile telephony, especially in situations where terrestrial networks do not reach or fail.

Illustrative image. A phone connected directly to satellites illustrates the stakes of the new European rules for mobile satellite services, from covering isolated areas to crisis communications and security.

What changes with the proposal

The current framework dates back to 2008. At that time, the European Union created a common procedure for selecting mobile satellite service operators, but the actual authorization of frequency usage rights remained with the member states. In practice, operators had to manage different national conditions.

The Commission now proposes a change in logic: authorization at the level of the European Union. Selected operators would receive the same rights and obligations in all member states, without separate notifications or authorizations in each country.

The Commission's argument is that satellite services are, by their nature, cross-border. A constellation does not stop at the border of a member state. If the infrastructure is European, the market is European, and the service is pan-European, fragmented national authorization becomes an obstacle.

How the spectrum would be divided

The Commission proposes dividing the band into six paired blocks of 5 MHz each. Two paired blocks, meaning one third of the band, would be reserved for a secure government or hybrid system. The rest would be used for commercial services.

For the government part, the spectrum would support critical communications, security, defense, civil protection, emergency interventions, and crisis management. The operator would need to be European and ensure integration with IRIS², the European Union's program for secure satellite communications.

For the commercial part, the spectrum would support services to mobile phones, internet in areas without terrestrial networks, and Internet of Things applications, such as sensors, monitoring devices, tracking systems, or equipment used in emergency interventions.

Why the security component appears The proposal does not treat satellite connectivity merely as a commercial market. It treats it as critical infrastructure.

In crisis situations, communications can become as important as energy, transportation, or supply. If terrestrial networks are affected by a natural disaster, a cyber attack, a conflict, sabotage, or a major outage, satellites can provide an alternative infrastructure.

That is why the Commission demands strict conditions for the secure government system. The candidate must be established in the European Union, have executive leadership in the Union, and not be controlled by a third country or nationals of a third country.

The text also introduces data requirements. The Commission wants traffic generated or routed in the Union to be directed through the territory of the European Union, to avoid exposure to external legal regimes and to allow the application of European and national competencies in matters of security, data protection, and lawful interception.

This is the politically sensitive part of the file: who controls the infrastructure, who can access the data, who can guarantee the continuity of communications, and how dependent Europe remains on providers outside the Union.

Illustrative image. Satellite communications can support emergency interventions when terrestrial networks are affected by disasters, attacks, or major outages.

What is IRIS²

IRIS² is the European Union's program for secure satellite communications. The full name is Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite.

The proposal regarding the 2 GHz band requires that the secure government system be integrated with the IRIS² infrastructure. The goal is for the Union and member states to be able to use secure and resilient communications for institutions, public authorities, emergency services, defense, and crisis management.

IRIS² is important because it marks a paradigm shift. The European Union no longer treats satellites merely as commercial or scientific tools, but as infrastructure for technological sovereignty and security.

What obligations would operators have

Operators would not gain access to the spectrum solely through a financial competition. The proposal provides for technical, industrial, legal, and security criteria.

Candidates must demonstrate compliance with the rules of the International Telecommunication Union, the existence of agreements for the manufacturing of satellites, their launch, the construction of gateway ground stations, and the continuous provision of services.

For the secure government system, the proposal requires coverage in all member states, for at least 95% of the population and at least 90% of the area of each member state, within a maximum of five years from the start of continuous service provision.

For commercial services, candidates must demonstrate technical and financial capacity, supply chain security, data protection, coverage in all member states, and efficient use of the spectrum.

How operators will be selected

The Commission proposes a comparative procedure. The amount offered for the spectrum will matter, but it should not be the dominant criterion.

Population and territory coverage, the timeline for service availability, the ability to provide Direct-to-Device services, security, resilience, contribution to the European industrial chain, use of European technologies, competition, and efficiency in spectrum use will all count.

This approach shows that the European Union does not just want to sell access to the spectrum. It wants to use it for public objectives: coverage, security, technological autonomy, diversification of suppliers, and reducing strategic dependencies.

What happens with current operators

Current holders of frequency usage rights are Viasat and Echostar. Their rights expire in May 2027. The proposal allows, upon request, the extension of these rights for two years, for the continuity of existing services. During the extension period, the rights cannot be transferred, leased, or sub-leased.

This solution seeks to avoid a service gap between the old system and the new European framework, but without blocking the entry of new operators or the development of Direct-to-Device technologies.

Who controls compliance with the rules

The Commission would monitor compliance with the authorization conditions, together with the member states. If an operator does not comply with the conditions, the Commission could take corrective measures, suspend or withdraw the authorization, and impose fines or periodic penalties.

The text provides for fines of up to 5% of the total global turnover of the license holder in the previous financial year.

This component shows that European authorization comes with European oversight. For an infrastructure considered strategic, the Commission proposes not only common market entry rules but also a common control mechanism.

Why it matters for citizens

The effects can be concrete.

A phone could have signal in areas where terrestrial networks do not reach. An isolated community could have access to basic connectivity services. A person in an area affected by floods, fires, or storms could communicate when the ground infrastructure is not functioning. Emergency services could use alternative connections during interventions.

This is why the file must be explained beyond technical jargon. Radio spectrum is invisible to citizens, but its organization decides who can communicate, where, under what conditions, and with what level of security.

Why it matters for security and defense Satellites are already part of the security infrastructure. They support navigation, communications, Earth observation, border surveillance, defense, and crisis management.

The proposal explicitly links the 2 GHz band to the Union's Space Strategy for security and defense. The Commission argues that part of the spectrum must be used for secure government communications, especially when terrestrial networks are unavailable, disrupted, or insecure.

This orientation is also seen in other recent files: IRIS² for secure communications, Galileo for positioning and signal authentication, Copernicus for Earth observation, and the EU Space Act for the safety and resilience of space activities.

Why it matters for the single market

The Commission argues that national fragmentation of authorizations has slowed the development of mobile satellite services. Operators have had to manage different procedures, fees, deadlines, and conditions in member states.

The financial document of the proposal estimates that a single digital market for satellites could reduce costs by 60-80%, saving operators at least 10-15 million euros per year.

From an economic perspective, the stakes are to create a real European market for satellite services. From a strategic perspective, the stakes are that this market should not be dominated exclusively by providers outside the Union.

The new European rules treat satellite spectrum as strategic infrastructure for connectivity, security, and technological autonomy.

Where controversies may arise

The first controversy concerns competence. Member states have traditionally had a strong role in spectrum management. The proposal shifts a relevant part of the decision-making to the Commission.

The second concerns the balance between security and the market. One third of the band would be reserved for government uses. Commercial operators may feel that this reduces the available space for market services.

The third concerns access for operators outside the Union. The proposal does not completely exclude them, but introduces strict conditions regarding control, data, external jurisdictions, and supply chain security.

The fourth concerns competition. The Commission wants to encourage new European operators, but the satellite market is dominated by large global companies. The final selection criteria will show how much real space exists for diversification.

The underlying stakes

The proposal shows how telecommunications, space, and security increasingly overlap. The radio spectrum is no longer just a technical resource for operators. It becomes a public policy infrastructure.

Control over the 2 GHz band can influence who provides connectivity in isolated areas, who maintains communications in crisis situations, who provides secure government services, and how dependent Europe remains on technologies, networks, and providers controlled from outside the Union.

In this logic, the Commission's proposal is an attempt to transform a limited radio resource into a tool for connectivity, resilience, security, and technological autonomy.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/explicativ/explicativ-de-ce-vrea-comisia-europeana-reguli-noi-pentru-satelitii-care-conecteaza-telefoane-direct-din-spatiu