When it comes to satellite connectivity, Elon Musk's Starlink is the go-to choice for many people around the globe. The service has been running almost without any major competition since its inception. However, a new rival might emerge from Europe soon.
The European Union has signed a contract with the SpaceRISE consortium to make 290 IRIS² satellites by 2030. The €10.6 billion (about $11 billion) contract allows the EU to deploy a domestic rival to Starlink (via Financial Times.) The initiative is aimed at providing secure satellite connectivity to EU Member States and governmental authorities, as well as private companies and European citizens.
The EU's Starlink rival operates in medium and low Earth orbit. Moreover, it's led by SES SA, Eutelsat SA, and Hispasat S.A, three major European satellite network operators. Firms like Airbus Defence, Deutsche Telekom, and Orange are other key partners to the 12-year concession contract.
Europe's IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) satellite network consists of 264 spacecraft in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit (via The Verge.) Most of its capacity goes to commercial broadband services for businesses and households, while the rest is given to government entities.
The European Space Agency (ESA), which is a key player in the IRIS² initiative, notes that the IRIS² first launch is scheduled for 2029, adding it will "enable the constellation to communicate securely and quickly and remain constantly connected without needing thousands of satellites."
It remains to be seen how the EU's satellite constellation compares to Starlink in terms of speed and coverage. Additionally, its support for direct-to-cell capability is still in question.
Europe's decision to launch a domestic rival to Elon Musk's Starlink is not a surprise, especially after the billionaire was found to have secret talks with Russia's president Vladimir Putin. Musk also refused to let Ukrainian troops use Starlink to conduct a surprise attack on Russian forces during the ongoing war. He later claimed the decision was made to avoid escalating the conflict.
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