[Europe's four major telecommunications giants conspired to form a group to bid for satellite spectrum to challenge Musk's Starlink] On September 8, the latest news showed that a number of large European mobile communication operators are conducting preliminary negotiations and plan to form an alliance to bid for satellite spectrum and provide direct satellite-connected mobile phone services. Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange SA, Vodafone Group Plc and Telefonica SA plan to jointly bid for part of the radio spectrum, people familiar with the matter said. The potential partnership would compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink in Europe. People familiar with the matter said that the companies have not yet made a final decision on forming a consortium or participating in the bidding. Previously, the EU has proposed to reserve spectrum for local European operators to enhance Europe's own satellite communications capabilities. Under the EU's proposed rules, any satellite operator must be majority-owned by a European company.