European Council gave its final approval on Tuesday for a program aiming to deploy a satellite constellation by 2027. The Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS) scheme has a budget of €2.4 billion and will be interoperable with the European Union's satellite navigation and Earth observation programs.
IRIS will provide "ultra-fast (low latency) and highly secure communication services," the Council said. It will make use of quantum cryptography, "a method that uses the properties of quantum mechanics to secure and transmit data in a way that cannot be hacked." Member states are expected to use the technology for services such as protection of critical infrastructure, surveillance, support for external action, or crisis management, the Council added.
