Why Europe Needs Its Own Starlink - Omar Qaise (OQ Technology)

Omar Qaise started thinking about connecting cellular devices to satellites years before it became an industry standard — and before bigger players jumped in. Building OQ Technology in Europe meant navigating fragmented regulation, securing patient capital, and proving that 5G could work from low Earth orbit using hardware no larger than a CubeSat.

The conversation unpacks the technical and commercial realities of satellite telecommunications. Qaise explains how OQ Technology extends cellular networks into space, enabling standard IoT devices and smartphones to connect without proprietary hardware. The discussion moves through the cost of launching satellites (under a million euros for small satellites), the regulatory gauntlet (launch authorisations, spectrum filings, space object registration), and the strategic question of sovereignty. European clients — and others — are willing to pay more for a non-US option when data rules and resilience matter. The market is still nascent, but defence applications, autonomous vehicles, and drone connectivity are accelerating demand.

**Key Discussion Points:**

🛰️ OQ Technology provides 5G direct-to-device connectivity using standard cellular technology — no proprietary chips or terminals required 📡 Launching a small satellite costs less than a million euros, but scaling a constellation requires patient capital and regulatory approvals across multiple jurisdictions 🇪🇺 Sovereignty is a selling point: clients across sectors choose European operators to avoid dependency on US or Chinese constellations 🚁 Defence and drone connectivity are emerging as high-growth segments, with governments prioritising resilient communication for autonomous systems 💰 The market is estimated between nine billion and one trillion dollars, depending on how broadly direct-to-device and IoT applications are defined

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