US envoy warns of reprisals over EU satellite spectrum plan

Andrew Puzder, the US ambassador to the EU, has warned that European companies could face devastating reprisals from Washington if Brussels proceeds with plans that restrict American firms’ access to parts of the European market. Dutch news agency ANP reported the warning on 18 October, citing an interview with the Financial Times. It was a conditional warning, not an announced US countermeasure. [1]

The dispute centres on a European Commission proposal for future licences in the 2 GHz mobile-satellite frequency band. Of six paired frequency blocks, two would be set aside for a secure communications system. EU-controlled new entrants would have priority for two of the four commercial blocks; the other two would remain open to applicants from outside the EU, subject to conditions. The plan could limit American operators’ opportunities in this band, but it would not exclude them from the European market generally. [2] [4]

The proposal has not become law: the European Parliament’s legislative tracker listed it as awaiting a committee decision. Existing rights held by Viasat and EchoStar expire in May 2027, and the draft would allow a two-year extension on request. Neither the final rules nor the future allocation of the blocks has been decided. [2] [3] [4]