BRUSSELS, Nov 9 (Reuters) – EU countries and European Parliament lawmakers are likely to reach a deal on a 6-billion-euro ($6 billion) satellite internet system next week, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, driven by the bloc’s push to cut its dependency on foreign companies and the Ukraine war.
The European Commission announced the initiative to build and operate a satellite internet system in February, part of EU industry chief Thierry Breton’s campaign for strategic autonomy.
The EU scheme comes amid growing concerns about Russian and Chinese military advances in outer space and a surge in satellite launches.
Having its own satellite internet system could help the bloc speed up the rollout of broadband internet in Europe while it would also cover Africa, allowing the EU to offer countries there an alternative to Chinese competitors.
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Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/exclusive-eu-countries-lawmakers-likely-clinch-deal-next-week-satellite-internet-2022-11-09/
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