EU launches GOVSATCOM: Secure satellite communications as a bridge to IRIS²
At the end of January, the European Union began operational use of GOVSATCOM (EU Governmental Satellite Communications). This gives all member states access to secure, encrypted satellite communications for government and security-related applications. Eight satellites from five EU countries (France, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Luxembourg) will be bundled together at the start. The infrastructure will be set up and operated in Europe under European control.
EU Commissioner Henna Virkkunen emphasized its strategic importance at the European Space Conference in Brussels on January 27 and 28, stating that Europe's security depends on remaining connected in every situation. With GOVSATCOM, the EU is taking a concrete step toward greater digital sovereignty and reducing its dependence on non-European providers.
What GOVSATCOM is intended for
GOVSATCOM pursues a "pooling & sharing" approach: existing, trusted capacities are coordinated to provide crisis-proof connectivity for authorities and emergency services in the EU. Typical scenarios include crisis and disaster management, civil security tasks, border and maritime surveillance, diplomatic communications, and defense and mission communications.
Expansion path: From GOVSATCOM to IRIS²
GOVSATCOM is designed as an entry point and transition, IRIS² as a long-term platform:
Phase 1 (now): Operational start with bundled national satellite capacities to make secure government satcom available in the short term.
Phase 2 (from 2027): Planned expansion of coverage and capacity through additional, security-checked capacities from trusted providers.
Phase 3 (from 2029): Gradual integration into IRIS², the EU's "Secure Connectivity" constellation.
IRIS² in brief
IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) is planned as a multi-orbit constellation and is intended to enable both secure government communications and additional commercial connectivity services in the long term. The goal is a robust, European-controlled infrastructure that provides reliable services even in geopolitically tense situations and in the event of terrestrial network disruptions.
Classification
For IoT applications, critical infrastructures, and public operators, the importance of resilient connectivity as a fallback option is increasing. GOVSATCOM is creating an EU-controlled, encrypted satcom base for this purpose in the short term. IRIS² is intended to supplement this base from the end of the decade with scalable infrastructure, new service models, and greater system autonomy.