Four European telecoms giants unite to bid against Starlink for EU satellite spectrum

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone Group have signed a letter of intent to evaluate a joint bid for Mobile Satellite Services spectrum in the European Union, the four companies announced on Monday.

The alliance targets the upcoming auction of the 2 gigahertz band — frequencies capable of delivering voice, text and data directly to ordinary smartphones without hardware modifications or additional ground antennas. The service model, known as Direct-to-Device, would allow satellite connectivity on handsets consumers already own.

The move positions the four carriers as a common European front against the growing market presence of Starlink, the orbital network operated by SpaceX. The companies said the alliance seeks to guarantee open and non-discriminatory access to the frequencies for all mobile operators across the region.

For a European mobile subscriber, a successful bid could eventually mean satellite coverage in areas where terrestrial networks currently fail — rural dead zones, mountainous terrain or at sea — using an unchanged SIM and device.

The agreement is preliminary; the companies described it as an evaluation of a potential joint bid, not a finalised offer. No financial terms were disclosed.