The EU has signed an agreement for his IRIS² constellation of 290 communications satellites that will operate in medium and low Earth orbit. The Starlink rival will provide secure connectivity to government users, as well as private companies and European citizens, and bring high-speed Internet to dead zones. The public-private agreement valued at 10.6 billion euros (about 11 billion dollars), according financial timeIt is expected to come into operation in 2030.
SpaceRISE, a consortium led by European satellite network operators SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat, and supported by European satellite communications subcontractors such as Airbus and Deutsche Telekom, has been awarded a 12-year concession contract to develop, deploy and operate the constellation. IRIS². IRIS² is an acronym for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite.
“This cutting-edge constellation will protect our critical infrastructures, connect our most remote areas and increase Europe's strategic autonomy. By partnering with the SpaceRISE consortium, we are demonstrating the power of public-private collaboration to drive innovation and deliver tangible benefits to all Europeans,” said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
In September, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/fcc-chair-wants-more-competition-spacexs-starlink-unit-2024-09-11/”>she wanted to see more competition according to Elon Musk's Starlink, which has already launched about 7,000 satellites since 2018. “Our economy does not benefit from monopolies… all communications markets that have competition are strong, we see lower prices and more innovation and, honestly, space should be no exception.”
