Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, and Telefonica are in preliminary talks to form a consortium to jointly bid for satellite spectrum resources that the EU plans to reserve for local operators, according to sources familiar with the matter. The EU is developing new rules for satellite access in the 2 GHz band, intending to set aside one-third of the band for bids from local companies and requiring European enterprises to hold a majority stake to promote autonomous European satellite service capabilities. This move would directly challenge SpaceX's Starlink dominance in Europe. SpaceX currently cannot independently provide such services within the EU due to a lack of EU spectrum authorization and has explicitly opposed the EU's restrictive proposals. Additionally, Vodafone's joint venture with US satellite company AST SpaceMobile may need to adjust its equity structure to meet EU requirements if it intends to participate in the bidding.