Europe’s 348-Satellite IRIS 2 Network Enters Service Years Behind Starlink

Europe’s IRIS 2 satellite program is moving into implementation with a planned 348-satellite constellation, a sovereign communications buildout that still starts far behind Starlink’s fleet of more than 10,000 satellites.

Light Reading reported that the European Commission has agreed implementation terms with SpaceRISE, the consortium made up of Eutelsat, Hispasat and SES.

The system is intended mainly for government, defence, security and emergency connectivity, with services scheduled to begin from 2029.

The agreement adds 66 dedicated low-Earth-orbit satellites and confirms Eutelsat as lead contractor for the LEO layer.

The expanded constellation is planned to include 330 LEO satellites from Eutelsat and 18 medium-Earth-orbit satellites supplied by SES.

Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Fallacher called the agreement “a very important milestone” that moves IRIS 2 from design and preparation into an “operational phase.” Eutelsat enters that role after its 2023 acquisition of OneWeb, which gave it a low-orbit platform alongside its 31 geostationary-orbit satellites.

IRIS 2 is being built as a European alternative to US-controlled satellite systems for sensitive communications.

Fallacher said the constellation will use 5G non-terrestrial-network technology rather than the proprietary approaches used by OneWeb, Starlink and Amazon.

“We use 5G NTN technology.

For IRIS 2, we want to normalize the technology ...

This is also a way to fight against the American giants because today each of the technology used by ourselves on OneWeb, by Amazon or by Starlink are full proprietary technologies,” he said.

“Going to normalized technologies such as 5G NTN will also help [in] bringing the cost down [and] having antennas which will be cheaper and of a smaller size.”

The standards choice is part of a wider European effort to keep satellite capacity under domestic control.

The European Commission recently decided to reserve most of the 2GHz mobile satellite spectrum band for European companies, with one-third allocated to IRIS 2.

Luke Pearce, principal analyst at FDM CCS Insight, said Ukraine’s use of Starlink on the front line has shown why satellite communications matter for future warfare and why the EU wants its own capability.

He does not expect IRIS 2 to catch Starlink, or even Amazon Leo, quickly.

Timing is the main constraint.

IRIS 2 was announced in November 2022, and initial services were originally expected in 2024.

The full system is now likely to arrive in 2030 or later.

By then, Pearce said, SpaceX will have moved through further generations of satellites, terminals and services, while Amazon Leo will be a more established competitor.

Standardized technology may broaden the equipment ecosystem, improve interoperability with terrestrial networks and reduce costs.

It does not erase the US lead in satellite manufacturing, launch capacity, terminals and scale.

Eutelsat currently operates about 650 LEO satellites, making it a distant second to Starlink.

That smaller base is becoming more important to Eutelsat’s business.

LEO connectivity accounted for 25% of total revenue of €1.23 billion, or US$1.41 billion, for the fiscal year ended June 30, and LEO revenue grew 70% year over year.

For IRIS 2, Eutelsat plans to design and operate 264 dual Mil-Ka/Ku band satellites and 66 Mil-Ka band satellites.

The company expects to invest €2.23 billion, or $2.57 billion, in shared infrastructure and €1.16 billion, or $1.34 billion, in commercial infrastructure, including Ku payload and commercial ground equipment.

Spending is planned from 2027 to 2034.

The concession agreement points to more than €10 billion, or $11.6 billion, in expected Eutelsat revenue from IRIS 2 activity from 2032 to 2040.

Although the system’s main use will be military and government connectivity, SpaceRISE members can also use part of it for commercial services.

The first Ka-only satellites are planned to start launching in 2029, and the commercial Ku LEO system is expected to be operational by mid-2032.

Eutelsat also plans to add 229 satellites to OneWeb through 2034 alongside 440 new first-generation satellites for an investment of €1 billion, or $1.2 billion.