As you know, the idea of internet from satellite has been on the agenda of the whole world for many years. While Elon Musk’s Starlink service seems unrivaled in this area today, that may soon change. Now Europe’s leading satellite and aerospace companies have teamed up for the European Union’s satellite project known as IRIS².Competitor to Starlink from Europe
Reportedly, the new project, which includes giant names such as Airbus Defense and Space, Eutelsat, SES and Thales Alenia Space, will offer a high-speed, low-latency internet connection to government agencies, businesses and regions in the EU that do not have internet access. In addition, the EU states that a backup network will be set up to maintain access to the internet, including in large-scale cyber attacks.
Opening next year
The IRIS² satellites will begin service next year and will reach full capacity by 2027. However, the EU’s contribution to the total cost will be around 2.4 billion euros. Another 685 million Euros will come from the European Space Agency, while the rest will come from the private sector.
In a statement on the subject, the EU said that IRIS² satellites will provide critical infrastructure and strengthen technology sovereignty. For those who don’t know, the European Space Agency (ESA) already has satellite constellations such as Galileo and Copernicus. But given Starlink’s established popularity and expansion plans, we’ll have to wait and see what the new project has to offer.
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