The EU's new generation secure satellite Internet project IRIS² has officially entered the operational stage recently. Some components have been online. Member states can now begin to access this network. It is regarded as a key step for Europe to benchmark SpaceX's "Starlink" in the field of satellite Internet. In the context of the United States and Europe increasingly emphasizing technological autonomy and strategic independence, space and satellite communications are becoming a new battlefield for digital sovereignty.
According to the EU, the IRIS² ("Satellite Infrastructure Resilience, Interconnection and Security" Infrastructure) constellation went online a few days ago, and EU officials announced that member states can now access the network for secure Internet communications. Andrius Kubilius, the EU’s head of defense and space affairs, said that IRIS² and the government satellite communications project GOVSATCOM have entered a limited operational phase and will be the first to be opened to government and military uses. Ukraine has applied for access to this infrastructure, and Kubilius said communications links are expected to be established soon.
IRIS² is a major project worth approximately €10 billion that aims to create an indigenous satellite internet system similar to Starlink for Europe by the end of this decade. The planned multi-orbit constellation is expected to consist of approximately 290 satellites, combining the technical advantages of medium Earth orbit (MEO) and low earth orbit (LEO). After the project is fully deployed, IRIS² aims to provide secure connection services within the EU, covering government agencies, private enterprises and ordinary citizens, improving the resilience and security of global communications.
The GOVSATCOM project, which is being promoted in parallel with IRIS², is focused on providing encrypted and high-security satellite communications capabilities for government and military sectors. After geopolitical tensions and many disputes over the role of commercial satellites in military operations in recent years, security and sovereignty control have become the core demands of major satellite Internet projects. Previously, Musk's SpaceX was accused of abusing restricted frequency bands in a classified U.S. military operation, triggering widespread discussion about the role of U.S.-made commercial satellites in the military and intelligence fields.
Kubilius emphasized that the project is not only a technical project, but also a political project. He said: "All member states can now use a sovereign satellite communications system - both military and government communications, secure and encrypted, manufactured in Europe, operated in Europe, and under European control." EU leaders hope to build a network that they claim will be "better than Starlink", but there is still a huge gap between the two in terms of coverage and availability. SpaceX plans to build a global constellation of approximately 15,000 satellites by 2031 to continue to expand its leading edge in the satellite Internet field.
In a more tense and complex geopolitical environment, the IRIS² alliance is facing pressure to accelerate its construction and deployment. This constellation is seen as part of the EU's larger strategic layout to reduce its reliance on US space communications technology. At the same time, China is also reported to be advancing its own large-scale orbital "constellation" plan, while Russia is focusing more on developing "anti-satellite" capabilities, including trying to destroy satellites in orbit through orbital projectiles and other methods. Under the multi-party game, global competition around satellite Internet and space infrastructure is rapidly heating up, and the launch of IRIS² marks a key step for Europe in this field.