A senior EU lawmaker has warned that Elon Musk’s SpaceX could pose a danger to Europe’s telecom market if the bloc’s new digital rules fail to prevent the company from dominating mobile and broadband services. Michał Kobosko, the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the Digital Networks Act, said Europe cannot ignore SpaceX’s ambitions, which include expanding Starlink into direct-to-consumer mobile services. He has proposed strict sovereignty and resilience criteria for pan-European spectrum licences to guard against foreign control.
The warning comes as SpaceX recently acquired US mobile licences, raising fears of a similar move in the EU. European operators worry the company will undercut local firms just as the EU reviews telecom rules to boost investment. SpaceX already provides broadband and indirect mobile services in Europe but has not confirmed plans for expansion.
Kobosko also cited recent Starlink restrictions in Ukraine as proof of Europe’s dependence on American tech, especially amid shifting US political ties with Russia. The European Commission proposed reserving spectrum for European satellite players, a move the US has threatened to retaliate against. Kobosko criticised the original proposal for lacking ambition on tech sovereignty and harmonisation, and for not forcing big tech firms like Netflix and YouTube to pay for network traffic.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing