Emergency services in Europe could soon gain access to a dedicated, universal communications system under plans lodged by the European Commission (EC).

The proposed European Union (EU) Critical Communication System would tackle concerns about limitations in current set-ups and provide resilience when terrestrial services are not available.

Police, firefighters, medical and civil protection services would be able to communicate throughout the EU. The EC proposes this element cover voice, photos and video, and would be achieved by member states shifting from narrowband systems to broadband technologies including 5G.

EU satellites would provide back-up for the land-based equipment.

There may be call for a specific device to be produced to connect to the system: the EC stated real-time communication would be provided “through a single, secure” product.

The EC explained change is needed to help emergency services tackle natural disasters, the threats drones pose to critical infrastructure and terrorist attacks.

Emergency service staff would have priority access to communications “even when the mobile network is saturated or disrupted” and the EC committed to ensure security against “cyber and hybrid attacks” by employing “encryption and a strong protocol”.

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An EU Network Monitoring centre is planned, offering “a secure and resilient” fibre network to connect member states, with another facility to oversee the tracking and assessment of cyber threats.

It is envisaged all elements of the EU Critical Communication System would be provided by local companies.

The EC believes the set-up could also encourage investment in critical communications at national level.

It emphasised member states would retain “full control over national networks” and offered assurances they would play a role in governing the set-up.

If approved by the European Parliament and Council, the EC would seek to begin implementing the EU Critical Communication System in 2030.

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Wilson Connectivity launched weBoost Sky, a signal booster designed to help standard smartphones connect to low Earth orbit satellites from inside moving vehicles.

The company’s CEO Bruce Lancaster told Mobile World Live it ramped up work on the product after T-Mobile US and SpaceX unveiled the T-Satellite service around the 2025 Super Bowl.

“It’s time to productise that,” he recalled telling the weBoost general manager, adding the project drew on Wilson’s earlier research into Starlink and rural connectivity.

The problem weBoost Sky is addressing is that a vehicle’s body can weaken the link between a handset and satellites hundreds of miles overhead.

It supports PCS Band-25, currently used by T-Mobile for its Starlink service. Lancaster said Wilson prioritised the band because T-Mobile and Starlink were furthest into commercial satellite deployment.

Lancaster noted compatible phones can switch between nearby terrestrial Band-25 towers and satellite coverage as needed.

weBoost Sky houses the amplifier and external antenna in a roof-mounted unit roughly the size of a double stack of playing cards. A coaxial cable connects it to a small interior antenna, while power comes through USB-C or a vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket. The device attaches magnetically, or with an adhesive plate available for aluminium or composite roofs.

“The issue really here is an uplink,” Lancaster said. “It’s not the downlink that’s usually the limiter; it’s the uplink connectivity that’s the problem.”

Its product raises uplink power from about 200 milliwatts to 1 watt, the maximum allowed by the Federal Communications Commission for consumer signal boosters. Mounting the antenna outside the vehicle also limits interference from the roof and low-emissivity glass.

Wilson sees it appealing to forestry crews, field workers and fleets which regularly travel beyond terrestrial coverage explaining he expects the stronger uplink to make satellite messaging more reliable.

Sky went on sale on 28 September for $149.99 through weBoost’s online store, major US retail stores and specialist radio-frequency dealers.

Privately-held Wilson Connectivity, formerly Wilson Electronics, makes its hardware in St George, Utah, and operates an R&D centre in Dallas, Texas and has a location in Cambridge, UK.

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AT&T agreed a multi-year fibre and cable deal valued at more than $3 billion with glass-specialist Corning to advance its converged strategy of mobile and broadband services.

AT&T CEO John Stankey has long been a proponent of fibre as the basis for the company reaching 60 million consumer and business locations by 2030.

The mobile operator achieved its goal of passing more than 30 million locations in June 2026, six months ahead of schedule.

In its most recent Q2 results, AT&T recorded 646,000 total consumer and business internet net adds, comprised of 367,000 fibre and 279,000 fixed wireless access connections, which marked a record quarter for combined fibre and fixed wireless additions.

The two companies signed a multi-year fibre agreement two years ago worth $1 billion. AT&T was also a core investor with Corning in 2022 on a new cable manufacturing facility in the state of Arizona.

Based on Ookla Speedtest data from almost 1,700 fixed internet providers in the US in the first half of 2026, lead industry analyst Mike Dano estimated AT&T and Verizon made up about 60% of the fibre Speedtest samples to lead the fibre charge.

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