Authorisation of Mobile Satellite Services

Background

In May 2026, the European Commission unveiled its proposal for the selection of mobile satellite services (MSS) providers who will be authorised to use the harmonised 2 GHz frequency band beyond May 2027, when the current licenses expire.

The present regime, regulated by Decision No 626/2008/EC, is based on Union-level selection but national authorisation. It has produced fragmented conditions, divergent fees and licensing delays.

Since 2008 the band has gained strategic importance, with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and multi-orbit constellations now enabling Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity to ordinary devices, and satellite communications becoming central to EU resilience, security and digital sovereignty.

The new initiative aims to build a simpler, more harmonised and more strategically secure framework, based on:

• a single Union-level selection and authorisation procedure run by the Commission, replacing national regimes;
• a dedicated spectrum for a secure MSS/hybrid system reserved for EU-owned or controlled operators, integrated with the Union Secure Connectivity programme IRIS;
• prioritised access for a Union new entrant, alongside a track open to applicants from third countries;
• common authorisation conditions, a 20-year duration renewable once, one-off contributions and annual fees, and coordinated EU-level monitoring and enforcement.

Key points

The EESC:

• supports satellite Direct-to-Device connectivity, which can extend mobile coverage beyond the reach of terrestrial networks and provide supplementary connectivity when those networks are disrupted; stresses that deployment should particularly benefit underserved rural, remote, island, mountainous, border and outermost areas, thereby contributing to territorial and digital cohesion; calls for coverage reporting to be complemented by indicators on effective service availability, continuity and quality, and for services to be accessible and affordable, including for persons with disabilities, with transparent information for users on actual availability and limitations;
• recommends that the priority given to Union new entrants to obtain two of the four paired blocks of 5 MHz available for commercial MSS be explicitly reflected in the binding provisions through a clearly defined selection mechanism; stresses that the weighting of the selection criteria should give much greater importance to quality, innovation and competition than to the amount of the one-off financial contribution; calls for clarification of the requirement to provide evidence of a binding agreement for the manufacture of satellites within the territories of the Member States, so that it remains proportionate and does not create unjustified barriers for credible Union new entrants and smaller operators;
• supports the obligation to provide services in all Member States and to cover at least 95% of the population and at least 90% of the aggregate land area of each Member State within five years of continuous MSS commencing; recommends measurable intermediate deployment and coverage milestones, accompanied by transparent progress reporting, so that delays can be identified before the final deadline;
• considers that environmental sustainability should be a minimum authorisation requirement and not merely one of several criteria used to rank commercial applicants; calls for comparable and independently verifiable lifecycle environmental requirements for both the secure MSS/hybrid system and commercial MSS systems;
• notes with concern that the Commission’s explanatory memorandum identifies no impact on fundamental rights, even though the proposal contains provisions concerning data retention, lawful interception, electronic evidence and the routing of communications traffic through EU territory; calls for a specific assessment of the proposal’s impact on the rights to privacy, data protection, freedom of expression and effective judicial remedy.

Additional information

Section: Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN)

Opinion number: TEN/893

Opinion type: Mandatory

Rapporteur: Miroslav Hajnoš (Group II - Slovakia)

Date of adoption by section: 4 September 2026

Result of the vote: 74 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstentions

Date of adoption in plenary: 23-24 September 2026

Result of the vote: 199 in favour, 0 against, 3 abstentions

Contact

Marco Pezzani

Press Officer

Tel.: +32 2 546 9793 | Mob: +32 470 881 903

E-mail: marco.pezzani@eesc.europa.eu

Alin Mituta

Administrator

Tel.: +32 2 546 8250

E-mail: alin.mituta@eesc.europa.eu