EU reached a deal on a €6bn satellite internet system
The 27 member nations within the European Union (EU) have reached an agreement on a €6 billion-euro satellite internet system, as the European Community (EC) aims to build is own industry of space and communications vendors and end its reliance on foreign suppliers. Representatives from the European Parliament and the European Council, agreed to a ‘deal’, reports Reuters. However, details are vague at the moment, other than that half the funding will be cannibalised from other projects. eu satellite internet system
The European Commission announced the initiative to build and operate a satellite internet system in February. The EU scheme is a response to fears over Russian and Chinese military advances in outer space and a surge in satellite launches.
Having its own satellite internet system could help the bloc speed up the rollout of broadband internet in Europe while it would also cover Africa and the Middle East. This would allow the EC to offer alternative options to countries which are currently beholden to Chinese conditions.
A space-based network would flesh out the skeleton service provided by terrestrial networks. They could also provide both backhaul and backup in the event of major outages or disasters. The EC may help to offer connections in places not covered by traditional service providers.
The Commission wants to fund the initiative by diverting €2.4 billion from other EU programmes and use unspent money from other EU projects. The remaining €3.6 billion euros will be expected to come from the private sector. Initial development and satellite launches could start next year. Full services, using the best security that quantum cryptography can offer, will start in 2028.
Space Traffic Management (STM) system eu satellite internet system
In order to deal with the “exponential increase in the number of satellites” and private initiatives in space, the EU Commission has also proposed a Space Traffic Management (STM) system.
The main goals of this system are to promote the safe and sustainable use of space while preserving the EU’s strategic autonomy and industrial competitiveness.
High representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, said: “Space has become more crowded than ever, increasing the complexity and the risks related to space operations. To address this global challenge, we propose today an EU approach to Space Traffic Management.
“While STM is a civilian endeavour, European security and defense depend on a safe, secure and autonomous access to space,” Borrell added.
