Its European competitor Starlink is gone

The EU has signed an agreement for its IRIS² constellation of 290 communications satellites to operate in medium and low Earth orbit. Starlink’s rival will provide secure connections for public and private users and citizens of Europe, and bring high-speed internet to dead zones. The public-private deal is worth 10.6 billion euros (about $11 billion), according to The Financial Timesexpected to be online by 2030.

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), interconnected satellites placed in different orbits “will enable the constellation to communicate securely and quickly and stay connected without the need for thousands of satellites.” SpaceX, by comparison, has already launched 7,000 low-Earth satellites since 2018 to ensure Starlink’s global coverage and low latency. The IRIS² constellation will consist of 264 spacecraft in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit.

SpaceRISE – a consortium led by European satellite network operators SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat, and supported by European satcom subcontractors such as Airbus and Deutsche Telekom – has been awarded a 12-year contract to develop, deploy, and operate the IRIS² constellation. IRIS² is an acronym for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite.

“This leading satellite will protect our critical infrastructure, connect our most remote areas and increase Europe’s independence. Together with the SpaceRISE consortium, we demonstrate the power of public-private partnerships to drive innovation and deliver tangible benefits for all Europeans,” said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.

In September, FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said she wants to see more competition for Elon Musk’s Starlink. “Our economy doesn’t benefit from omnivores… every telecommunications market is very competitive, we’re seeing lower prices and more innovation, and frankly, the environment shouldn’t be any different.”

Update, December 17: More details on the numbers of satellites in the constellation.