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In time for winter, Elon Musk donates a snowmelt heater.

The first users of his Starlink project for Internet reception from space recently received mail.

In future there will be a separate “snowmelt mode” for the antennas, was the message from the technology entrepreneur.

The flat antennas with a diameter of almost 50 centimeters for private households, schools or companies are the counterpart to his planned gigantic fleet of initially around 12,000 satellites in space.

The first Starlink test users in the US had complained because the connection was disrupted in heavy snowfall.

While Musk is currently putting its Starlink fleet into operation, has already launched 833 satellites into space and has become the world's largest satellite operator in record time, the alarm bells are now ringing in Europe.

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Now that US technology giants are already setting the tone for the Internet and data traffic on earth, Brussels does not want to become dependent on telecommunications from space as well.

The EU Commission would like to set up its own sovereign mega-constellation for the secure transmission and storage of broadband data for an estimated six billion euros - also to protect its economy.

How ambitious the project is can be seen from the fact that nine companies from the aerospace and telecommunications industries are joining forces for the project, some of which are otherwise tough competitors.

Space Internet for private households

When the own EU data space network is to go into operation and how big it will be has not yet been determined.

There is talk of the first services in 2025.

First of all, a year of advice and a feasibility study will be carried out, according to a communication from the companies involved.

That already costs 7.1 million euros.

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However, within a year of reflection by the Europeans, Elon Musk shoots hundreds more Starlink satellites into space via his space company SpaceX.

In the end of 2020, he proved that he can do this.

In the future, with his new Starship super rocket, he could even release more than 60 Starlink satellites into space per launch.

So Europe is becoming a latecomer.

Musk is only the pioneer for other planned mega-fleets in space, for example by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with his Kuiper project.

There are several projects around the world with hundreds or thousands of satellites in space.

The EU Commission is not only interested in another network for a global space Internet for private households.

Rather, the focus is on tap-proof and interference-free communication between governments, the military and authorities, as well as secure data communication, especially for the economy that is facing a digital revolution.

If Europe's corporations are active in the USA or Asia, for example, they should be able to transport their data securely.

The feasibility study also includes the 6G network

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In addition, the highly secure network for governments and the military (GOVSATCOM) promoted by Europe's armaments agency EDA is to be installed.

But that's not all.

The network should also include the so-called EuroQCI initiative.

The abbreviation stands for quantum cryptography technology.

In simple terms, a super-secure data transfer.

Experts see a revolution in quantum communication in super-fast data transmission via light particles.

China is leading the way in this field and has already tested data transmission via satellite.

Beijing is already researching the super-fast 6G data network, which could go into operation in 2030, as the successor to the 5G network currently being introduced in Germany.

The EU's feasibility study for the data satellite network is also intended to address this issue and “strengthen the role of satellites in the 5G ecosystem, assess interoperability and also take into account the development of the upcoming 6G technologies”, the communication says.

So it's about very big decisions.

"The Europeans' project aims at the independence of Musk and others as well as China," says an insider, who wants to remain anonymous.

However, there is a parallel to the project for a European data satellite network that is thought-provoking.

With their Galileo project, the Europeans also established their own constellation for navigation satellites.

Brussels wanted to break the dependence of Europe on the leading GPS network of the USA and also create its own sovereignty.

When Galileo was launched 20 years ago, the EU brought a financing model into play that is now once again part of the plans for Europe's mega-constellation: a public-private partnership, also known as a PPP (public-private partnership).

Galileo was to be paid for in tax plus industrial money.

This is also under discussion now.

At Galileo, however, there was no agreement on risk sharing.

In 2007 the PPP model for Galileo collapsed.

Since then, only taxpayers have paid for the state navigation network, which has become significantly more expensive and has been delayed by years.

To date, all facets of the operation have not finally started.

A German company is also involved

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So far there have only been guesses as to what Europe's own data network could cost from space.

There is talk of six billion euros, of which the industry should contribute two billion euros.

Anyway, the estimates of costs and schedules should be treated with caution.

But regardless of whether it is Galileo or Europe's new Ariane 6 cargo rocket - the major projects have become more and more expensive and have cost hundreds of millions of euros more than budgeted.

In addition, agreement must first be reached on the feasibility study on what Europe's own data satellite network should look like and which technology and missiles should be used.

In addition to the space division of Airbus and the rocket marketer Arianespace, the nine companies in the consortium also include the large satellite operator Eutelsat, based in Paris, Spain's Hispasat and Luxembourg's SES.

German participation comes from the German Airbus satellite and future rocket competitor OHB from Bremen.

France's largest telecommunications company Orange, the Franco-Italian companies Thales Alenia Space (satellite construction) and Telespazio (satellite operation) are also included.

Thanks to Brexit, Britain will play a special role here too, because the island will not be part of Europe's data satellite project.

But the government in London has already made provisions.

Because the British are also locked out of special Galileo services, London and an Indian telecom operator have bought the satellite fleet of the insolvent British operator OneWeb.

The Internet fleet is to be supplemented by navigation and secure data services.

A further 36 OneWeb satellites were only launched in mid-December.

In the final stage there should be at least 600.

Elon Musk and London are pushing their projects forward - while Brussels and the EU space industry are still preparing studies.