Earlier this year, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni lamented that there was “no public alternative” to a US operator yet available to meet Italy’s needs on satellite communications.
In fact, Europe has several secure satellite communication solutions already at its disposal.
For a long time, Vodafone has deployed a dedicated team of volunteers in disaster areas to help restore connectivity through Wi-Fi hot spots via satellite. This team was recently on the ground in Valencia during the horrific mud slides, working side-by-side with emergency services to rescue lives.
Together with UNHCR, we already use satellite links to connect schools in refugee camps across Africa where mobile networks are notoriously inadequate. In Ukraine itself, our Vodafone partner used Starlink to quickly restore some form of connectivity after Russian attacks on civil infrastructure.
These technology solutions have been around for years and are being used with great success, especially to help citizens in times of emergencies and natural disasters.
They have two practical limitations, however. Firstly, they all rely on dedicated devices, special dishes, terminals or expensive satellite phones to leverage space for connectivity. And secondly, they work far better in a clearly defined geographical area, with often limited mobility.
So, if this is what Prime Minister Meloni meant, she is right.
Or, rather, she was right.
Because, in January this year, the world’s first space-based video call from a mobile ‘not spot’ was made using normal smartphones and commercial satellites built for a full mobile broadband experience. And it was done by Vodafone, in partnership with AST SpaceMobile.
This marks a significant breakthrough in Europe’s future ability to deliver full mobile broadband connected to satellites in low Earth orbit — so-called direct-to-device.
This solution is unique. It means mobile customers in Europe can stay connected no matter where they are, and their current phones will switch automatically between space and ground-based networks.
And more widely, it represents the new frontier in the current race to better leverage space to benefit our citizens.
Just imagine what this could mean in scenarios like the one faced by the Irish people during their record-breaking storms a few weeks ago, which knocked out 900+ mobile sites and left over a million inhabitants without mobile coverage.
Or during the German floods in 2021, the floods in Poland, Czechia and Slovakia last fall, or the wildfires in Greece in 2023-24, to name just a few.
With the ongoing climate crisis, these events are regrettably becoming more frequent and impacting much bigger geographical areas. Satellite direct-to-device will transform how communications are managed during these disasters. It can allow the rapid deployment of connectivity for first responders, aid organizations and affected communities. And it will provide essential national resilience, as well as a much-needed lifeline for all those impacted.
It also has potential to eliminate — once and for all — Europe’s mobile not spots, especially in deep rural areas. It will end the geographical digital divide for the millions of European citizens who are not adequately covered by mobile networks, with profound implications for our economy and society.
Rightly, Mario Draghi’s report therefore highlighted satellite as a key enabler to boost Europe’s competitiveness, and for critical sectors including transport, renewable energy, defense and the Internet of Things.
There’s no doubt that satellite technology will also make an enormous contribution to achieving the EU’s Digital Decade 2030 targets. With Europe’s sovereignty at stake, it’s a no-brainer if the region wants to retain any degree of control over the future of space-based connectivity.
And because Vodafone’s solution with AST is integrated with terrestrial telecoms networks, the service will also be fully compliant with Europe’s current security and telecom regulations. There will be no need to create bespoke rules or issue waivers for satellite communications.
This matters hugely. Direct-to-device satellite solutions could cause significant interference unless they are designed and integrated correctly into the broader telecom ecosystem that most Europeans already rely on for their everyday lives.
Although satellite will be a vital supplement and backup to terrestrial networks, mobile network performance would deteriorate if this is not done correctly. This defeats the purpose of having satellite in the first place.
To ensure the rapid deployment of direct-to-device satellite solutions in the correct way, Europe’s leaders and regulators need to be crystal clear in their thinking around satellite policy.
They will have to quickly define a policy framework for how to best manage this exciting opportunity in a way that maximizes synergies in the convergence of space and mobile technologies.
In doing so, there are two key guiding principles and approaches to follow.
Firstly, to allow the uptake of innovation in this field, European regulators should allow telecoms operators to share mobile frequencies with their satellite partners at a national level, as we have seen in the United States.
The European Commission could also speed up deployment by harmonizing the rules on spectrum sharing at an EU level and encouraging member states to issue test licenses, as the UK regulator has done.
Secondly, to tackle inherent risks, European governments should ensure that satellite direct-to-device services meet the same security, cybersecurity, resilience and compliance standards as terrestrial networks.
If there isn’t a level playing field between satellite and telecom operators, this could create a whole range of issues, ranging from interference to undermining law enforcement, denial of service and data protection. The European Commission’s review of the European Electronic Communications Code this year is an opportunity to bring this into effect.
At Vodafone, while there is still a lot more work to do, we are optimistic that this giant leap in connectivity access for all EU citizens can be supported and nurtured by the European Commission and national regulators.
Following further tests this spring, we aim to progressively introduce a direct-to-device broadband satellite service commercially in markets across Europe later this year and from 2026 onwards.
We believe in the transformative potential of satellite technology, and through our partnerships we are determined to bring this exciting technology to as many people as possible.
By working together, we can ensure that Europe has secure and resilient communications infrastructure that leverages satellite frontier technology, delivered by European operators to enhance European capabilities.
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