The US threatened a "devastating" response if Starlink is restricted in Europe
US Ambassador to the European Union Andrew Puzder warned that European companies could face serious consequences if Brussels carries out its plan to restrict the access of American companies like SpaceX to the European market.
US threatens "devastating" response if Starlink is restricted in Europe
Asked whether European companies should worry about retaliatory measures, Pazder responded: "That could happen, and given the size of the American market, it would have devastating consequences for them."
The ambassador stated that the US has all the necessary capabilities to win this race.
"However, it would be easier for us to cooperate with Europe rather than fight it," he said.
This US warning comes as the European Commission is developing plans to amend rules governing the allocation of radio frequencies for delivering direct-to-smartphone satellite communication services.
Under the proposal, part of the 2 GHz frequency band would be reserved for public services, while the remainder would be allocated for commercial purposes. In this case, the use of the commercial spectrum would be regulated in a way that gives an advantage to European operators. This could limit the capabilities of American—including SpaceX, which operates the Starlink network—and Chinese companies.
The proposed changes to the radio frequency spectrum allocation in Europe have drawn sharp criticism from SpaceX. The company warned that this could lead to a degradation of communication quality in Ukraine.
At the same time, earlier, Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, emphasized that the European Union does not have the capacity to provide Ukraine with a technological alternative to the Starlink satellite communication system in the short term.