New mobile satellite provider for Europe

The EC, it seems, can’t get enough of talking up mobile data and that old nearly-ran mobile TV. The Commission has announced it’s started a selection process for a new satellite provider across Europe, who will be able to sell “high speed data, mobile TV, disaster relief and remote medical services under a single European selection procedure instead of under 27 different national systems”.

If all goes to plan, the network will be up and running from next year, with all member countries guaranteeing the winning bidder will be able to run a service in their country using reserved spectrum.

I suspect the opportunity to run mobile TV services won’t be the carrot for would-be providers here: opening up mobile access and telemedicine in some of Europe’s most remote regions could be both worthy and profitable for network operators.