SpaceX Must Not Dominate European Telecom: EU Lawmakers

The EU must prevent its telecom overhaul from opening a route to European market dominance for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the legislation has warned.

Michał Kobosko told the Financial Times that the bloc needed stronger safeguards as SpaceX moves beyond satellite broadband into consumer mobile services.

Europe “cannot just wake up and see that SpaceX is aiming to control fully the European market and we are doing nothing against it,” he said.

“That would be too far, that would be dangerous for us in Europe.”

Spectrum Safeguards

Kobosko is preparing Parliament’s position on the Digital Networks Act, a proposed overhaul intended to encourage investment in the bloc’s digital infrastructure.

His draft includes strict “sovereignty and resilience criteria for pan-European (mobile) spectrum licenses,” he told the FT.

The intervention follows SpaceX’s purchase of U.S. licenses earlier this month that could support a direct consumer mobile service.

Such an offering would widen its potential customer base and bring it into competition with major American telecom operators.

European operators fear a similar expansion in their own market.

SpaceX already supplies broadband in Europe and provides mobile connectivity through other companies, but has announced no plans for a broader European offering.

Ukraine Sharpens Dependence Concerns

The debate has gained urgency as European governments seek greater control over critical communications infrastructure.

Restrictions imposed on Starlink last week disrupted Ukrainian frontline communications and impeded several military missions during intensifying Russian attacks.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent subsequently described President Volodymyr Zelensky’s accusation that Washington had deliberately slowed the service as reckless.

Kobosko linked the disruption to Europe’s exposure to American political and commercial decisions, citing the close relationship between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The European Commission proposed in May that part of the spectrum used for direct smartphone-to-satellite connections be reserved for European providers.

The U.S. ambassador to the EU has warned of possible retaliation over the measure.

Wider Telecom Dispute

Kobosko also wants tougher obligations governing relations between European network operators and large technology companies.

The Commission’s original proposal offered voluntary cooperation instead of the mandatory network payments sought by telecom providers.

His draft would require the largest generators of internet traffic to negotiate agreements with operators on network interconnection and data exchange.

National regulators could intervene if negotiations failed.

Parliament and EU governments must establish their respective positions before negotiating the final legislation.

A compromise drafted by Ireland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, has yet to address the most contentious questions, according to a text reviewed by the FT.