France and Spain push for EU preference in satellite spectrum auction
France and Spain are urging the EU to reserve satellite spectrum for European companies ahead of a 2027 auction, effectively excluding U.S. and other foreign players. The proposal was added to the agenda of Thursday's digital ministers meeting in Nicosia.
France and Spain have proposed reserving satellite spectrum for European companies in an upcoming auction, a last-minute addition to the agenda of Thursday's meeting of digital ministers in Nicosia.
Spain's Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López told counterparts: "It is time to decide whether we want our skies to be stronger or dependent." He added: "It is time to make European satellite industry great again."
The 2 GHz spectrum licenses currently held by U.S. companies Viasat and EchoStar expire in 2027. The EU must decide whether to renew them or launch a fresh auction with new conditions on which companies can bid. The Franco-Spanish proposal calls for including satellite spectrums in the EU's wider effort to set up a preference for homegrown technology, effectively excluding foreign-owned firms from critical sectors, according to a text seen by POLITICO.
European Commission tech chief Henna Virkkunen told reporters that the spectrum allocation will be "co-legislation" involving both the Commission and EU countries. Brussels is finalizing its proposal, which will come out "very soon," she said. Virkkunen added that any restrictions on providers of critical tech infrastructure "will be a very, very tailor-made approach" and "will look at each component and what kind of risk and how to mitigate the risks."
Beijing this week threatened retaliation if Brussels limits Chinese companies' access to EU critical tech sectors. Virkkunen pushed back, noting that Beijing is "also excluding some of the companies from their markets because of security reasons."
The EU is also considering how to deal with American companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX under a new bloc-wide rulebook that will ramp up regulatory oversight of satellite operators. Brendan Carr, head of the U.S. communications regulator and an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, warned Brussels in an interview with POLITICO last month against placing "unacceptable regulatory burdens" on successful American companies.
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