European space and
digital players to study build of EU’s
satellite-based connectivity system
23 December 2020
The European Commission has
selected a consortium of European satellite
manufacturers, operators and service providers,
telco operators and launch service providers to
study the design, development and launch of a
European-owned space-based communication system.
The study will assess
the feasibility of a new initiative
aiming to strengthen European
digital sovereignty and provide secure
connectivity for citizens, commercial
enterprises and public institutions as well as
providing global coverage for rural and
‘not-spot’ areas. Complementing Copernicus and
Galileo, this new EU flagship
programme, once given the green light, would
fully exploit the synergies of the
technological potential akin to the Digital and
Space industries. The contract value of the
year-long feasibility study amounts to € 7.1
million.
The European space-based
connectivity system, advocated by Commissioner
Breton, is set to provide secure communication
services to the EU and its Member States as well
as broadband connectivity for European citizens,
companies and mobility sectors, strengthening EU
digital sovereignty. It
will build upon the
European Union’s GOVSATCOM programme of pooling
and sharing satellite services, and will ensure
a high level of reliability, resilience and
security not currently available in the market;
it will also leverage the EuroQCI initiative
that promotes innovative quantum cryptography
technology.
More specifically, the
study phase awarded by the European Commission
will consolidate the user and mission
requirements and provide a preliminary
architectural design and service provision
concept, as well as associated budgetary
estimates. A Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
scheme will be considered and assessed during
this phase.
The study will look at how
the space-based system could enhance and connect
to current and future critical
infrastructures, including terrestrial
networks, strengthening EU capability to access
the cloud and providing digital services in an
independent and secure way, which is essential
for building confidence in the digital economy
and ensuring European strategic autonomy and
resilience.
It will leverage and
strengthen the role of satellites in the 5G
ecosystem, assessing interoperability whilst
also taking into account the evolution towards
upcoming 6G technologies.
This European sovereign
infrastructure is set to benefit a large range
of sectors, including road and maritime
transport, air traffic and control, autonomous
vehicle development as well as many Internet of
Things (IoT) applications. It is intended to
offer enhanced security in the transmission and
storage of information and data supporting the
needs of various users such as governmental
agencies, finance & banking companies, science
networks, critical infrastructures and data
centres.
The consortium members are:
Airbus, Arianespace, Eutelsat, Hispasat, OHB,
Orange, SES, Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space.
