EU's IRIS2 to rival Elon Musk with new satellite internet

The IRIS2 system (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnection, and Security by Satellites) will use a constellation of 290 communications satellites. The satellite internet service is expected to be available as early as next year.

The provider will be the SpaceRISE consortium, which includes satellite operators such as France's Eutelsat, Luxembourg's SES, and Spain's Hispasat. Other companies involved are Thales Alenia Space, OHB, Airbus Defence and Space, Telespazio, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Hisdesat, and Thales SIX.

The project was initiated in 2022 by the then-commissioner for the internal market and defense industry, Thierry Breton. Current defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius emphasized the European Union's determination to strengthen Europe’s position in space, stating: "IRIS2 demonstrates the Union's determination and commitment to enhancing Europe's global position in space."

The twelve-year concession contract is expected to provide both governmental and commercial communication services. Although the European Commission has not disclosed the project's costs, it was previously estimated that the public contribution would amount to approximately 3 billion euros (around 3.2 billion USD), with the remaining funds to be provided by the companies involved in the project.

Through IRIS2, the European Union aims to become independent of external satellite service providers, particularly from SpaceX's Starlink, created by Elon Musk. The market is also competitive with the American giant Amazon's Kuiper project and the British company OneWeb. Previously, the United Kingdom government, which exited the EU in 2020, sought to involve OneWeb in a joint project with Eutelsat.

As emphasized by the European Commission in a statement provided to the Polish Press Agency, the IRIS2 system represents a significant step towards European sovereignty and secure connectivity, strengthening the continent's global position in space technology.