US Warns EU of Retaliation Over Plan to Curb SpaceX and Amazon Satellite Spectrum

US Ambassador to the European Union Andrew Puzder warned in a Sunday Financial Times interview that European firms could face "devastating" commercial retaliation in the US market if the bloc proceeds with plans to reserve key satellite-to-smartphone spectrum bands exclusively for EU operators. The regulatory dispute centers on a European Commission proposal to ring-fence portions of the radio spectrum used by mobile devices to connect directly with orbiting satellites, a measure that would directly limit market entry for overseas companies including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Amazon $AMZN. SpaceX criticized the planned spectrum restrictions, warning that the rules could undermine critical civilian and military communication connectivity provided by its Starlink constellation in Ukraine. Puzder also questioned whether the European Commission's enforcement of its Digital Markets Act is designed to foster fair competition or generate state revenue from US tech firms, urging Brussels and Washington to align against competition from China in artificial intelligence and quantum computing. "You don't make European companies more competitive by making US companies less competitive." — Andrew Puzder, US Ambassador to the EU.