More than 170 satellites in Earth orbit will provide reliable communications for all of Europe as early as 2027.
A constellation of satellites that provides reliable Internet access in the EU countries will be deployed by 2027, writes the Space portal. For this purpose, it is planned to launch more than 170 satellites into low Earth orbit.
The European Commission voted for the implementation of Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnection and Security by Satellites (IRISS) almost unanimously (603 votes in favor of the project, 6 against). The report says that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown how important the sovereignty and security of communications systems are, especially in the context of military conflicts.
“IRISS will soon join Galileo and Copernicus in providing secure, sustainable and efficient communication services. A pilot project will be launched in 2024, with the satellite constellation completed by 2027,” the European Commission said in a statement.
First of all, the satellite system will provide public services, including the functioning of the defense and law enforcement agencies, as well as provide broadband communications for the whole of Europe. In the devices themselves, it is planned to use quantum encryption technologies for data transmission that is resistant to hacking.
The European Commission notes that both large European companies operating in the space industry and start-ups will join the project.
Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, said the vote to launch IRISS “marks a historic turning point for the EU’s strategic autonomy, digital sovereignty and competitiveness.”
The European Parliament allocated $2.53 billion for this project, and European space agencies and the private sector will also join the financing.
Earlier, Focus wrote that satellite Internet from a different operator than Starlink may appear in Ukraine.
