Four European Telecom Groups Sign Letter of Intent for Joint Satellite Spectrum Bid

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone signed a letter of intent on Monday to explore a joint bid for the future allocation of Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum in Europe, the four companies announced in a joint release. The frequencies would support direct-to-device (D2D) services that link unmodified smartphones to orbiting satellites. The letter commits the operators only to studying a bid, and they gave no timetable.

Sovereignty and open access

The companies said the initiative backs the European Commission's aim of strengthening Europe's sovereignty, security and resilience in critical connectivity infrastructure. They also said it would ensure responsible European governance of key space infrastructure. Under the proposal, every mobile network operator would get open and non-discriminatory access to offer D2D services to its customers, an arrangement the four said is meant to foster competition, reduce market fragmentation and widen consumer choice across the continent.

The group framed the plan around customer demand for universal coverage in underserved areas, greater resilience of public networks, protection of critical communications and support for a European constellation. The letter does not replace existing satellite partnerships held by the four carriers, they said.

Ground network, not satellites

The operators intend to establish key ground network infrastructure in Europe along with critical coordination and monitoring functions. They will not invest directly in a satellite constellation. That element would come from a satellite partner they have yet to select. The companies said such a partnership would combine European governance and market access with established satellite technology and deployment experience.

AST SpaceMobile, which lists all four carriers as partners, also announced the letter on Monday. It said it supplies ground stations in Europe through its joint venture, Satellite Connect Europe.

The move is being watched against a wider backdrop of spectrum policy. In May, the European Union said it was considering a plan to reserve part of the 2 GHz band for European companies to offer satellite services. In the United States, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon announced their own collaboration earlier this year to combine spectrum in rural areas and dead zones. Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore said in a post on a professional network that the commitment would be crucial in determining whether the effort becomes a genuinely broad platform for competition and consumer choice.

What it means for engineers

For engineers and technical staff, the initiative points to work at the boundary between terrestrial mobile networks and space systems. Skills in satellite communication systems, radio spectrum planning and the integration of non-terrestrial links with existing mobile infrastructure are likely to be in demand if the bid proceeds to deployment. Engineers would also be needed for ground segment design, network coordination and the monitoring functions the operators want to keep in Europe.

Telecom professionals should also watch how the proposal affects the existing supplier landscape. The four carriers said the model is designed to let every operator offer satellite-based coverage without each building its own space assets, which could shift hiring toward shared infrastructure roles and integration work rather than constellation manufacturing. Demand for specialists who can test and certify devices for direct-to-device links is another area to monitor.

The operators gave no timetable for deciding on a bid, and the satellite partner has not been named. The European Union's auction of the relevant frequencies is expected next year, with use of the spectrum planned from 2029. Also relevant is the planned shutdown of Germany's 2G network in 2028, which the companies have cited as one motivation for the satellite effort. The next signals will be any formal bid filing, the selection of a satellite partner and the European Commission's final decision on how much of the band to reserve.