US ambassador warns EU of harsh sanctions over 2-GHz satellite spectrum plan

The European Commission announced in May the rules for assigning the 2-GHz mobile-satellite service (MSS) spectrum, a process that will become binding in 2028 after existing licences lapse at the end of 2027. Although the timeline was expected, US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder warned in an interview that the United States would impose "devastating" sanctions if the EU proceeds with a licensing outcome that the US deems unfavorable.

Puzder specifically referenced the possibility of European firms developing a satellite broadband system comparable to SpaceX’s Starlink. He suggested that such a move would provoke harsh retaliatory actions against European companies. The ambassador’s remarks highlight growing tension over satellite communications policy, even as the EU’s allocation framework was already disclosed and not a surprise to policymakers in Brussels.