The European Commission has approved plans to build a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, providing broadband services across the EU and challenging SpaceX’s Starlink
The European Commission has approved plans to build a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, providing broadband services across the EU and challenging SpaceX’s Starlink
The notion of technological sovereignty has become an incredibly hot topic for leaders around the world in recent years. From 5G networks to semiconductor chips, it is becoming increasingly apparent to world leaders that the major technologies at the heart of their economies are heavily reliant on companies and supply chains beyond their influence, leading to renewed efforts to develop their domestic tech industry.
Indeed, this appears to be the main driving force behind plans tabled by the EU Commission, outlining a plan to build a new €6 billion LEO satellite system.
This as-yet-unnamed satellite system could deliver broadband communications to consumers and enterprises throughout the EU and Africa, prove an encrypted channel for sensitive data, and serve as a backup for traditional broadband networks if they become compromised by cyberattacks.
"[Our project] represents what we need to be doing as a Continent which is increasingly aware of its geopolitical responsibilities," said EU Commissioner of the Internal Market. “This is of central importance in terms of our strategic and technical sovereignty.”
Ultimately, this new constellation could support a wide range of technologies and services to help bolster the EU economy, including the IoT, edge computing, autonomous driving, and smart agriculture. The Commission said the project will generate jobs and bolster the competitiveness of the EU’s space ecosystem, with a cumulative gross value added of between €17 and €24 billion.
The EU will commit €2.4 billion to the project between 2022 and 2027, with the remainder funded by individual member states, the European Space Agency, and the private sector. The EU will reportedly seek a consortium to bid for the right to build and operate the system.
It is worth noting that this plan has been agreed only after two previous failed attempts, with detractors saying the plan would be overly expensive to implement and would negatively impact existing commercial broadband services. However, amendments to the plan have seen it pushed through, despite initial reservations.
The EU already notably has two satellite systems in orbit above the Earth: Galileo, a global navigation satellite system that provides EU countries with Global Positioning System (GPS) services, and Copernicus, used for Earth observation.
Interest in consumer broadband services via LEO satellite has boomed in recent years, with technological advances beginning to make the concept cost-effective for the first time. SpaceX’s Starlink constellation is something of a poster boy for this evolving sector, having launched over 2,000 satellites since 2018, with plans to increase this number to 12,000 or more in the coming years.