SpaceX warns EU spectrum plan could hurt Ukraine connectivity
SpaceX warns the EU's plan to reserve satellite spectrum could weaken Ukraine connectivity and spark tensions.
SpaceX is warning that a European Union proposal to reserve part of a satellite spectrum band for regional providers could weaken communications in Ukraine, where Starlink has played a critical role since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In a document shared with European officials and seen by the FT, SpaceX said: "The proposal creates a significant likelihood that Europeans will be left without direct-to-device satellite services or that new European operations will create global interference problems, including to emergency services like those in Ukraine."
The dispute centers on the so-called 2GHz frequency band, which allows smartphones to connect directly to satellites. In May, the bloc proposed reserving part of that band for European players, limiting the frequencies available to US and Chinese companies. The band is currently used by two American companies, Viasat and EchoStar.
SpaceX said the EU approach prioritizes "an operator’s country of incorporation above economic, technical and regulatory realities".
When the proposal was announced, EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen defended the preference for European operators, saying the bloc wanted to "boost our European capacities in this sector" while remaining open to international players in other parts of the spectrum band.
A European Commission spokesperson also defended the plan, saying: "While EU companies sometimes have zero per cent market share abroad, one third of our band will remain open to non-European companies. The rest of the band will be reserved to European providers, in line with our security, resilience and sovereignty ambitions."
The proposal has also drawn a warning from Washington. In March, the US Federal Communications Commission said it could respond if the EU gave preference to European satellite operators over alternatives such as Starlink.
"We are concerned by some of the talk around European satellite sovereignty", FCC chair Brendan Carr told the FT at the time. "If Europe is going to head down that path, then you know we will be compelled to take, you know, reciprocal action."
According to others involved in the negotiations, some EU officials deliberately wanted to limit Elon Musk’s Starlink platform.
The European Commission proposal still has to be negotiated with EU countries and the European parliament. A person close to SpaceX said the company still hoped to influence the direction of travel given the concerns raised by companies and several European governments.
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