A consortium of Europe's leading satellite and aerospace companies has been created to submit a bid for the $6.6B IRIS² satellite project.
This
project will provide internet access across Europe and promote the EU's
technological sovereignty in a competitive global environment.
- The
consortium for the project is led by Airbus SE, Thales Alenia Space
SAS, Eutelsat Communications SA, SES SA, and Hispasat SA and includes
telecom and technology companies such as Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange SA,
OHB SE, and Telespazio SpA.
- The constellation will use
hundreds of satellites to connect underserved regions of Europe and
operate in various orbits, including low-Earth orbit.
- The private sector will provide the remaining financing for the project, with the EU providing $2.65B.
- The
consortium is looking for startups to build 30% of the final system,
and the satellites will begin service in 2024 and reach total capacity
by 2027.
