The European Union (EU) signed a concession agreement on the IRIS project, which will provide satellite Internet services in order to create safe and stable communication infrastructure.
The European Commission said that the agreement was concluded with the Spacerise consortium to develop a multi -normal satellite system of the Internet IRIS, including 290 satellites.
The statement clarifies that with the help of partnership with the Spacerise Consortium, the EU will deploy and will operate a new system, providing a safe connection for Europe.
IRIS will provide reliable, stable and high -speed satellite communications that can withstand long -term challenges, the statement said.
Particular attention is paid to the fact that IRIS will provide improved communication services to users and close the gaps in connecting throughout the EU, supporting strategic autonomy and technological independence of Europe.
It is stated that the IRIS system will use the advantages of both medium and low orbits and provide services of high -speed broadband Internet for both private companies and citizens.
Spacerise Consortium, responsible for the implementation of the project, includes the operator of the European satellite network SES SA, Eutelsat SA and Hispasat SA, and will also be supported by contractors throughout Europe.
among the key partners of the consortium, Thales Alenia Space, OHB, Airbus Defense and Space, Telespazio, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Hisdesat and Thales Six.
are mentioned.
A 12-year concession contract with a consortium is an important step in creating a powerful partnership between public and private sectors to provide commercial communication services until 2030. IRIS financing will be carried out at the expense of the state budget of the EU and the European Space Agency (ESA), and private investments will come from the Spacerise Consortium.
IRIS project is aimed at competition with systems such as Starlink in the United States, as well as with other satellite networks, the number of which is expected to grow.
The expected project cost is 10 billion euros, and the EU plans to allocate significant financial funds from its budget for its implementation.