Brussels is about to redraw the map for mobile satellite services in Europe. And the two biggest names in space-based internet, SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper, are waiting at the door.
The European Commission is expected to announce a proposal on May 27, 2026, that would reallocate spectrum in the 2 GHz band currently used for mobile satellite services. Roughly two-thirds of that spectrum would be reserved for European companies. The remaining third could be opened to non-EU bidders, including Starlink and Amazon.
Why the spectrum is up for grabs
The current licenses for this band are held by two US firms: Viasat and EchoStar. Those licenses expire in May 2027, creating a window for the EU to completely rethink who gets to operate in this frequency range.
Rather than simply renewing or auctioning the licenses to the highest bidder, the Commission is taking a more strategic approach. The two-thirds reservation for European entities is designed to feed directly into the EU’s flagship satellite program, known as IRIS².
