Inmarsat and Solaris win EU spectrum rights

BRUSSELS May 14 (Reuters) - Satellite firms Inmarsat Ventures (ISA.L) and Solaris Mobile won rights from the European Commission on Thursday to a radio spectrum band that could be used to provide mobile services and high-speed Internet access across Europe.

Solaris, a joint venture between Luxembourg-based SES Astra (SESFd.PA)SESFg.LU and France's Eutelsat (ETL.PA), and UK satellite operator Inmarsat have been awarded the rights for 18 years, the European Union executive said in a statement.

"Mobile satellite services have huge potential: they can enable Europeans to access new communication services, particularly in rural and less populated regions," EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said in the statement.

"A Europe-wide market for mobile satellite services is now becoming a reality," she added.

Mobile satellite services (MSS) could offer wireless communications to millions of European consumers and businesses across Europe through portable terminals carried by a person or mounted on a car or a ship.

They can also help bridge the digital divide in the availability of high-speed Internet coverage in Europe by reaching rural and less populated regions, the Commission said. (Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by Dale Hudson)