EU Leaders Split on Big Tech Curbs as Cloud and Satellite Spectrum Decisions Loom

European Union policymakers are divided over how aggressively to curtail Big Tech ahead of landmark decisions on mobile satellite spectrum and cloud service tenders, Reuters reported May 27. A compromise on spectrum allocation next year will reserve most frequencies for EU firms but leave an opening for Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper, according to officials. A separate cloud procurement ruling due June 3 is expected to restrict Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet’s Google (GOOGL) and Microsoft (MSFT) from sensitive public projects, though not block them entirely. The internal rift pits EU industry chief Stephane Sejourne, who advocates a “Buy European” stance, against Finnish tech chief Henna Virkkunen, who favors clear rules for all rather than excluding non-European players. A €1 trillion investment gap versus the U.S. in cloud infrastructure underscores the challenge. The measures face further debate with member states and the European Parliament.