Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone and Telefónica are reportedly considering joining forces to secure European satellite spectrum, in another sign that direct-to-device connectivity is moving towards the mobile mainstream.
Four of Europe’s largest telecommunications groups are reported to be in preliminary discussions about creating a consortium to bid for satellite spectrum and develop direct-to-device (D2D) mobile services across Europe.
The potential participants are Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone and Telefónica. At this stage, no final decision has been made either to establish the consortium or to submit a joint bid.
The talks centre on the European Union’s 2 GHz Mobile Satellite Services spectrum, where existing authorisations are due to expire in 2027. The EU is developing a new framework intended both to stimulate European satellite services and to increase Europe’s strategic control over critical communications infrastructure.
Why direct-to-device matters
Direct-to-device satellite technology allows ordinary compatible mobile phones to communicate with satellites when terrestrial mobile coverage is unavailable.
Rather than replacing conventional mobile networks, D2D can extend them into areas where building terrestrial infrastructure is difficult or uneconomic. Potential applications range from rural and remote coverage to maritime connectivity, emergency communications and additional resilience when terrestrial networks fail.
That makes satellite increasingly relevant to traditional mobile network operators rather than simply to specialist satellite providers.
A wider European strategy
The initiative also fits into the EU’s broader push for greater technological sovereignty.
Europe is developing the IRIS² secure satellite communications programme, while new EU connectivity proposals are intended to make it easier to provide satellite services across national borders.
The European Commission has also recently accelerated and expanded the planned IRIS² satellite network, reinforcing the strategic importance Brussels now places on sovereign space-based communications.
Our perspective
Perhaps the most significant aspect of this development is that satellite connectivity is becoming part of mainstream mobile network strategy.
For telecom operators, deploying D2D involves much more than launching satellites. Services have to be integrated with terrestrial mobile networks, roaming, authentication, charging, policy control, service assurance, customer support and regulatory processes.
The possibility that four of Europe’s largest operators could cooperate on spectrum illustrates how quickly this market is evolving.
The question is increasingly shifting from whether satellite will form part of future mobile networks to how operators integrate it into the end-to-end customer service.
For European telecoms, that is likely to become an increasingly important delivery challenge over the remainder of the decade.
Based on public information and reporting by Bloomberg/Yahoo Finance, September 2026.