March 2 (Reuters) – French telecommunications leader Orange on Monday announced a partnership with AST SpaceMobile and Satellite Connect Europe, a joint venture between AST and Vodafone, to boost direct-to-cell connectivity.
Demonstrations covering voice, SMS and data are planned in Romania for late 2026, Orange said.
Satellite Connect Europe, formed last November, aims to establish a Europe-based satellite constellation with an operational centre in Germany, targeting both commercial and government satellite-to-smartphone connectivity applications.
Orange CEO Christel Heydemann has been a vocal advocate for European satellite sovereignty, calling for competitiveness in networks like the European Union’s planned IRIS2 initiative versus rivals such as Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s upcoming low Earth orbit network.
(aiReporting by Leo Marchandon in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)
