Tech

Major European mobile carriers are teaming up for a ‘direct’ satellite program without Starlink

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 19/10/2026, 14:31:25 UTC.

Briefings

Four major European telecom operators (Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, Vodafone) signed a letter of intent to jointly bid for satellite spectrum, aiming to compete with SpaceX's Starlink. They plan to manage ground infrastructure while a separate, unannounced satellite partner supplies the constellation. The initiative targets universal coverage in underserved areas and network resilience, though the specific partner and exact coverage goals remain unannounced.

Key points

• Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, and Vodafone signed a letter of intent to jointly bid for satellite spectrum.
• The joint initiative targets universal coverage in underserved areas and strengthens public network resilience.

Context

European telecom operators are collaborating to create a direct-to-device satellite competition against SpaceX's Starlink, with the goal of improving coverage and network security.

Limitations

The specific name of the unannounced satellite partner and the exact scope of universal coverage goals are not disclosed in the evidence.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 19/10/2026, 14:57:55 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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