Following the procedure established in conformity with Decision Nº 626/2008/EC of June 30th 2008 on the selection and authorisation of systems providing mobile satellite services (MSS), the European Commission has published in the OJEU on June 12th 2009 its Decision 2009/449/EC, designating the companies Inmarsat Ventures Limited and Solaris Mobile Limited as eligible operators of pan-European systems providing mobile satellite services (MSS).

In order to facilitate the development of a competitive internal market for mobile satellite services (MSS) across the Community and to ensure gradual coverage in all Member States, Decision Nº 626/2008/EC created a Community procedure for the common selection of operators of mobile satellite systems that use the 2 GHz frequency band.

Following this selection procedure, the European Commission published a call for applications for pan-European systems providing mobile satellite services (MSS) on August 7th 2008, setting as deadline for the submission of applications, October 7th 2008. Applications from ICO Satellite Limited, Inmarsat Ventures Limited, Solaris Mobile Limited and TerreStar Europe Limited were received within that deadline.

The outcome of the Commission′s assessment is that Inmarsat Ventures Limited and Solaris Mobile Limited have demonstrated the required level of technical and commercial development of their respective mobile satellite systems and should be eligible applicants, while ICO Satellite Limited and TerreStar Europe Limited have not demonstrated the required level of technical and commercial development of their respective mobile satellite systems and should not be eligible applicants.

Inmarsat Ventures Limited requested in its application 15 MHz of spectrum for earth to space communications and 15 MHz of spectrum for space to earth communications. Solaris Mobile Limited requested in its application 15 MHz of spectrum for earth to space communications and 15 MHz of spectrum for space to earth communications. Since the combined demand for radio spectrum requested by both companies does not exceed the amount of radio spectrum available, the two applicants should therefore be selected.

Authorised Frecuencies

• Inmarsat Ventures Limited: from 1 980 to 1 995 MHz for earth to space communications and from 2 170 to 2 185 MHz for space to earth communications.
• Solaris Mobile Limited: from 1 995 to 2 010 MHz for earth to space communications and from 2 185 to 2 200 MHz for space to earth communications.

Within 30 working days of the publication of the list of selected applicants, those applicants that intend not to use the radio frequencies should inform the Commission thereof in writing.