- The EU has launched a tender to develop a high-speed satellite network that would compete with SpaceX’s Starlink project
- Four major European space players answered the call on Tuesday: Airbus Defense and Space, Eutelsat, SES, and Thales Alenia Space
- The project, called IRIS², could reduce the digital divide in Europe and while strengthening the continent’s spatial sovereignty
Europe does not want to be left behind in the race for satellite broadband internet. Faced with the deployment of Starlink, which at the time of writing is already marketing Internet subscriptions available in a large part of the world thanks to a constellation of thousands of satellites in low orbit, the European Union has launched a call for tenders for develop its own sovereign network.
And four major European players in the space sector answered the call on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. We are talking about fairly well-known names in the sector: Airbus Defense and Space, Eutelsat, SES, and Thales Alenia Space. The call for tenders is in fact the result of a project called IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite). His mission ? Reduce the digital divide in Europe as quickly as possible and strengthen the continent’s spatial sovereignty.
How Europe intends to compete with Starlink
Europe will provide an initial budget of 2.4 billion euros – but the ESA and private investors are expected to help grow the envelope. The European network will face strong competition from Starlink, which already has more than 4,100 satellites in orbit and more than 1 million users worldwide. The SpaceX project enjoys a technological and financial advantage, but also political support in the United States, where it has obtained public subsidies to connect rural areas.
However, one of the challenges of the European project will be to have sufficient launch capabilities to deploy its constellation. The Ariane 6 launcher, which was to be operational in 2020, has accumulated delays and is not expected before 2024 at the earliest. Ironically, Europe could be forced to use the services of SpaceX to send its satellites into orbit, as it will have to do for the Galileo constellation project, intended to ensure the continent’s autonomy in satellite navigation. .
The European authorities estimate the cost of the project at around 6 billion euros – for a commercial launch in 2024 and a network at full capacity by 2027. A plan that is probably very ambitious, given the level of coordination required, the questions research and development, and other contingencies that should punctuate the commissioning of the constellation.
For comparison, the Starlink project is estimated to be worth around $10 billion at this point – and SpaceX could send 12,000 more satellites into orbit by 2026 – blowing the bill well. The firm has already started to offer a commercial service in some countries, with a price of 99 euros per month and an installation kit of 499 euros (or 15 euros per month for rental).
The European project will therefore have to demonstrate innovation and competitiveness in order to find a place in the high-speed satellite market, especially since when it comes into service, it is certain that the Starlink network will have a capacity much larger to serve its customers.
