Bulgaria can become an active contributor to Europe's secure satellite communications architecture, not merely a consumer of foreign capacity
SOFIA (Bulgaria), 2 June 2026 – As Europe accelerates the development of its secure satellite communications architecture through initiatives such as GOVSATCOM and IRIS², Bulgaria Sat stated at EU Space Days 2026 in Nicosia that Bulgaria already possesses operational geostationary satellite capacity that can contribute to Europe's secure connectivity infrastructure today.
According to the company, Europe's strategic autonomy in space cannot be built solely around future projects and a limited number of countries, but must leverage existing capabilities across the European Union, including those in Eastern and Southeastern Europe.
"We are no longer debating whether secure satellite communications are necessary. The discussion in Europe is now about how to build resilient infrastructure around them. Bulgaria already has operational geostationary capacity, and we believe the country should participate in this process as a provider of capabilities, not only as a consumer."
EU Space Days 2026 Participation
Bulgaria Sat participated in EU Space Days 2026, one of Europe's leading events dedicated to space technologies, secure connectivity, and strategic autonomy. Key topics discussed during the forum included GOVSATCOM, communications resilience, the role of geostationary satellite systems, and the future of non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and 6G connectivity.
"The coming years will determine which European countries will help build the future secure satellite communications infrastructure and which will depend entirely on external capacity. Bulgaria already has its own GEO asset and operational capabilities. The real question is whether the Bulgarian state will have the strategic vision to utilize them in time."
Strategic Asset for Europe
Bulgaria Sat is the only satellite operator in Eastern Europe and one of the very few operators within the European Union managing a geostationary communications satellite. Through BulgariaSat-1, Bulgaria possesses its own operational capacity in geostationary orbit at the Bulgarian national orbital position - infrastructure with direct relevance to Europe's security, resilience, and communications sovereignty, as well as to Bulgaria's national interests.
"Bulgaria already possesses what Europe is to invest billions in the next years - operational geostationary capacity for secure satellite communications, engineering expertise, and functioning secure communications infrastructure."
"The question facing Bulgaria's new government is whether the state will recognize this strategic asset in time and integrate it into both the Bulgarian and European security architecture, or once again remain an observer in processes where it has the potential to play an active role," he added, emphasizing that space infrastructure must increasingly be viewed as part of both national security and the country's long-term economic strategy.
Critical Role of GEO Infrastructure
During the forum, Bulgaria Sat highlighted that geostationary satellite systems remain a critical component of the secure SATCOM ecosystem due to their broad coverage, resilience and ability to maintain connectivity during crises, natural disasters, cyberattacks, border protection operations, maritime security missions and the continuity of critical governmental functions.
The company also stressed the need for Europe to pursue a more balanced and geographically diversified space policy.
"If Europe wants genuine strategic autonomy, it cannot rely on only a handful of countries and operators. Bulgaria has already demonstrated that it can build, operate, and maintain GEO infrastructure at the European level."
Future Integration
According to Bulgaria Sat, the development of secure satellite communications, future NTN architectures and the integration of space-based and terrestrial communications networks will further increase the strategic importance of geostationary infrastructure over the coming decade.
The company stated that it will continue its active dialogue with European institutions, industrial partners and national authorities regarding the integration of Bulgaria's geostationary capacity into future European secure communications frameworks and mechanisms.
About Bulgaria Sat
Bulgaria Sat is a private company and operator of BulgariaSat-1, Bulgaria's first geostationary communications satellite, launched in 2017. The company provides secure satellite communications and end-to-end solutions, including satellite capacity integration, ground infrastructure, and operational management for defense, security, critical infrastructure, and crisis management applications.
BulgariaSat-1 provides coverage across Southeast Europe, the Black Sea region, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, supporting a broad portfolio of satellite services.