US WARNS EU OF DEVASTATING RETALIATION IF BRUSSELS BLOCKS SPACEX
Washington has put Brussels on notice. US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder told the Financial Times that European companies face devastating retaliation if the bloc restricts SpaceX and other American firms from key parts of the European market.
The trigger is a European Commission plan to reserve a slice of the spectrum used for direct satellite-to-smartphone connections for European operators. That move would shrink the frequencies available to US companies such as SpaceX, which runs the Starlink network, and to Chinese rivals.
Puzder was blunt. Asked if European firms should fear a response, he said they should be wary that it could happen and it would be very devastating for those companies given the size of the American market. He added that if the purpose is to make the United States less competitive, that is not a legitimate goal of this kind of legislation.
SpaceX has already pushed back hard. The company warns the spectrum reservation risks poorer connectivity in Ukraine, where Starlink has provided critical civilian and military communications since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Puzder accepted Europe’s right to protect sensitive government information. His objection is to using rules to favor domestic companies at the expense of American competitors.