The European Commission has signed the agreement formalizing IRIS², the EU's own satellite internet network, with European manufacturers, the European Space Agency (ESA), and other partners. The signing follows negotiations that began in January and locks in a plan that has grown substantially since the programme was first proposed. Engadget

IRIS² stands for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnection and Security by Satellites. It will now comprise 348 satellites in low Earth orbit, which means the satellites circle the planet at a relatively low altitude, roughly 2,000 kilometers or less. That proximity to the ground allows for faster signal response times. The plan now includes 66 more satellites than originally intended. The additional satellites are meant to strengthen the network's capabilities for defense, security, and emergency services. According to ESA, the reinforced network will increase secure governmental capacity by 60 percent within the EU and 54 percent globally. ESA

The network uses more than one type of orbit. Most satellites will be in low Earth orbit, but some will sit in medium Earth orbit, a higher band of space, where that makes sense for coverage. The European Parliament adopted IRIS² on February 14, 2023, and the programme is established under Regulation (EU) 2023/588, covering the period 2023–2027. It joins Galileo, the EU's satellite navigation system, and Copernicus, its Earth observation programme, as the third pillar of EU space infrastructure. The Commission describes the network as sovereign, secure, resilient, and cost-effective connectivity. European Commission

The first IRIS² satellites are planned for launch in 2029, with services deployed progressively from that year. European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius expressed confidence in January 2026 that initial communication services can begin in 2029. Reuters

IRIS²'s primary mission is secure, encrypted communications for EU institutions, ministries, and embassies, enabling the safe exchange of sensitive information. Think of it as a private, self-contained internet that the EU fully controls. It is designed for critical operations including emergency response, humanitarian aid, border and maritime surveillance, and intelligence-sharing, particularly in areas where ground-based internet doesn't reach. The network is also intended to strengthen crisis management by ensuring reliable connectivity for emergency responders during natural disasters or network outages, and to help protect critical infrastructure. European Commission

Beyond government use, IRIS² will be made available to businesses and citizens in areas where traditional networks do not exist or are unreliable. The Commission envisions commercial applications across transport, energy, and banking through real-time data exchange and secure operations, as well as facilitating remote healthcare and smart grid management. The network is also intended to expand high-speed internet access for individuals in rural and underserved areas. Engadget

The growth of IRIS²'s scope is worth tracing. When the EU first proposed a satellite internet system in November 2022, the plan envisioned up to 170 satellites launched between 2025 and 2027. By December 2024, when the Commission took its next deployment step, the figure stood at 290 satellites. The finalized agreement adds another 58, reaching 348. Each revision has expanded the network's capacity and its emphasis on defense and security use cases. Reuters

The scale, however, remains modest next to the benchmark the industry inevitably measures against. SpaceX's Starlink constellation currently operates more than 10,000 active satellites. IRIS²'s 348-satellite fleet is not designed to compete on coverage density for consumer broadband. Its value lies in sovereign, encrypted governmental communications and the resilience that comes from a network the EU controls end to end. Engadget

The broader context here is a European strategic posture that treats connectivity infrastructure as a question of sovereignty. The war in Ukraine has made satellite communications resiliency a concrete operational concern rather than an abstract possibility. IRIS² exists alongside IRIDE, a separate ESA-managed Earth observation programme slated for completion by 2026. Together they signal an EU approach to space infrastructure that is multi-layered and designed to reduce dependency on non-European providers for both communications and Earth observation data. ESA

The gap between signing and first launch is roughly three years. Whether the 2029 target holds will depend on manufacturing timelines across the European industrial base, launch vehicle availability, and the complexity of building a multi-orbit encrypted network. The programme's history of upward revision, from 170 to 348 satellites, suggests that scope has been the negotiating variable rather than schedule. The signed agreement now fixes both, and the work of building begins in earnest.