Europe’s taking big steps to compete with Starlink.
The EU plans to launch 290 satellites to bring secure internet connectivity across Europe by 2030. Think of it as Europe’s answer to Starlink, but with fewer satellites.
Dubbed the astronomical mouthful – Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity, and Security by Satellite, or IRIS² for short – this project is a $11 billion public-private venture, headlined by SpaceRISE, which includes partners like SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat.
Where Starlink floods the sky with around 7,000 satellites, IRIS² takes a more strategic approach. With 264 satellites in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit, it promises constant connectivity and security without the crowd.
Jessica Rosenworcel over at the FCC was begging for competition to Starlink by saying “Our economy doesn’t benefit from monopolies… every communications market that has competition is strong, we see lower prices and more innovation, and honestly, space should be no exception.”.
