Starlink · Europe · Policy · 19 Oct 2026
Europe’s four biggest carriers plan a joint bid for the satellite airwaves Starlink wants, and the US is warning of “devastating” retaliation
On Monday, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone signed a letter of intent to explore a joint bid for Europe’s 2 GHz satellite-to-phone spectrum. A day earlier, the US ambassador to the EU warned that European companies “should be wary” of retaliation if Brussels squeezes US firms out of the same band. Neither the bid nor the EU rules exist yet. Here’s what each side has actually done, and what it means for Starlink.
What the four carriers signed
The four operators put out the same release on Monday, 19 October (Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica, Vodafone). The wording matters: it is a letter of intent to explore a potential joint bid for the future allocation of Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum in Europe. It is not a bid, a company or a licence.
- No satellites of their own: the carriers plan to build the ground network and the coordination and monitoring functions in Europe, “without investing directly in a satellite constellation.” That part would come from “a satellite partner still to be selected.”
- Open to other carriers: they say every mobile operator would get open, non-discriminatory access to offer direct-to-device service to its customers.
- Existing deals stay: the release says the letter “does not replace existing satellite partnerships.”
That last line matters most for Starlink. In March, Deutsche Telekom announced its own Starlink satellite-to-mobile deal, planned to launch in early 2028 in several of its European markets, including Germany. TeslaNorth points out that Monday’s letter names neither Starlink nor SpaceX.
What Brussels has proposed
The airwaves in question are the 2 GHz MSS band, which lets phones talk to satellites directly. The current EU-wide rights, held by Viasat and EchoStar since 2009, expire in May 2027. In May, the European Commission proposed a new way to hand them out. As Politico and Reuters reported, the plan splits the band into three 10 MHz blocks:
- Block one: secure government communications, run by an EU operator and linked to the EU’s IRIS² constellation.
- Block two: commercial services from new European entrants.
- Block three: commercial services, open to European and non-European companies alike.
So two of the three blocks are reserved for European players, and SpaceX could compete for one block at most. Even that isn’t guaranteed, since it would be up against European bidders for the open block.
This is still a proposal. It needs approval from both the European Parliament and EU governments in the Council, and the Parliament’s file shows it is still at committee stage. Some MEPs want to go further: Politico reports that the lead negotiator, Angelika Winzig, and other lawmakers have filed amendments that would make it harder for non-European players to get access.
Washington’s warning
In an interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday, US ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder said European businesses “should be wary” of retaliation in the US market, and that it could be “very devastating,” according to Anadolu Agency’s account of the interview. He accepted that Europe has a right to protect sensitive government information, but said: “You don’t make European companies more competitive by making US companies less competitive.”
Anadolu also reports that SpaceX has criticised the plan, warning it could undermine connectivity in Ukraine. Puzder didn’t name a specific countermeasure or say which companies could be affected.
Starlink operates 11k+ satellites in orbit, providing high-speed broadband to millions of people all around the world.
— Starlink (@Starlink) October 6, 2026
My read
Look past the headlines and the gap is clear. On one side is a company that, by its own count, operates more than 11,000 satellites. On the other is a letter saying four carriers will explore a bid and pick a satellite partner later. Europe’s leverage is the rulebook, not the hardware, and the rulebook isn’t written yet. Three things to watch: whether Parliament’s amendments tighten the non-EU block, who the carriers choose as their satellite partner, and whether Washington turns Puzder’s warning into something concrete. Deutsche Telekom also has a Starlink deal launching in 2028, so it’s backing both sides.
Sources: joint release from Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica and Vodafone (19 Oct 2026); Anadolu Agency on Puzder’s FT interview (18 Oct 2026); Politico and Reuters (27 May 2026); Politico (12 Oct 2026); TeslaNorth (19 Oct 2026); Commission proposal COM(2026) 311; European Parliament procedure 2026/0134(COD); Deutsche Telekom on its Starlink deal (2 Mar 2026). This is news and analysis, not investment advice.
— Alex R
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