Monday 6 July, 2026
GSMA Europe welcomes the Commission proposal’s overall objective of strengthening legal certainty, reducing market fragmentation, facilitating the provision of pan-European services and promoting innovative satellite connectivity solutions, including future Direct-to-Device (D2D) services.
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations and the emergence of D2D services create new opportunities to extend connectivity in areas where terrestrial networks may not reach, such as remote mountain regions, sparsely populated rural zones and maritime areas. At the same time, the scale of the challenge should be kept in perspective. Europe already benefits from extensive terrestrial mobile coverage, and the remaining coverage gap is limited. D2D services can help address residual coverage gaps but are not a substitute for terrestrial mobile networks.
The proposal rightly recognises the supplementary role that satellite connectivity can play alongside terrestrial networks. The GSMA Europe therefore supports a regulatory framework that enables the development of D2D services while preserving the integrity of existing terrestrial spectrum rights and principles of technology neutrality. Any use of 2 GHz MSS spectrum to supplement terrestrial services should ensure effective protection against harmful interference and support a level playing field between mobile network operators and satellite network operators, including the definition of clear interference limits, coordination procedures and measurable protection criteria for D2D use.
GSMA Europe acknowledges the objectives of strengthening Europe’s technological sovereignty, competitiveness and strategic autonomy, while supporting the development of a European satellite and connectivity ecosystem in which telecom operators play a fundamental role.
To support these objectives, the framework should:
- Support MNO participation and a range of business models, including joint ventures and consortia, without requiring applicants to own or directly operate the space segment.
- Provide legal certainty regarding participation by neighbouring countries, subject to equivalent safeguards with regard to regulatory accountability and security.
- Ensure Complementary Ground Components remain genuinely complementary to satellite services, do not cause harmful interference to other services and are not used to provide terrestrial mobile broadband coverage.
- Preserve level playing field by setting comparable requirements for mobile and satellite service providers (without partnership) when delivering similar services directly to consumers.
