Late in 2020, the European Commission announced the assembly of industry players to study the build of a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) system. On Tuesday, the group met virtually during the SATELLITE 2021’s EMEA + Asia Digital Forum to discuss collaboration, reported Via Satellite.
According to Dominic Hayes, who works on management and international relations for the Commission, other constellations in development (like SpaceX Starlink and Telesat Lightspeed) were catalysts for Europe to begin the study. The Commission is looking for the best ways to provide secure connectivity, including for government and emergency personnel, across the continent.
“The key objectives are to make broadband available everywhere in the EU, places where it’s not feasible or economical to provide terrestrial coverage. There are still places in Europe that don’t have the necessary coverage,” Hayes said.
Hayes added that the group has already made initial proposals on the frequency and orbital characteristics of the system and will have firm deliverables ready in the next few weeks. He anticipates that by the end of 2021, they’ll be prepared to begin discussions with EU member states and the European Parliament.
According to Via Satellite, the number of stakeholders involved in the project will lengthen the launch process; it will be years before any satellites enter orbit. Although other constellations, like Starlink, OneWeb, and Lightspeed, will already be operable, Hayes isn’t concerned.
“It’s inevitable that we will miss the initial potential available on the market. Starlink is just so far ahead of us. In some ways, I actually see that as being beneficial. They are the ones that will establish the market, and we will come in later,” Hayes noted. “We won’t have the first-mover advantage, but we will potentially take advantage of some of the economies of scale in the development of receiver technologies.”
Regarding funding and ownership of the project, the EU is investing in both from the start. Via Satellite reported that this pre-funding involvement differs from the U.S. and Canada’s satellite ventures, which drives confidence in the project’s potential success, per industry experts.
Additionally, industry players are volunteering to aid in the project. For instance, The European Space Agency is ready to support the project in terms of 5G, quantum computing, optical technology, and Artificial Intelligence, said Elodie Viau, director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications.
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