A new service for mobiles that would provide telephony, television and Internet via satellite could be operational within a few years under a proposal made by the European Union's executive arm on Wednesday.

The plan would make the European Commission the clearinghouse for satellite companies seeking permission to offer the service in Europe, avoiding the need for approval from each of the European Union's 27 countries.

This would provide a one-stop shop, a Commission spokesman said.

If the European Parliament and the European Union's council of telecoms ministers approve the plan next year, the EU executive hopes to choose satellite companies in 2009.

By creating the conditions for a single market ... the Commission will maximize the potential of this market, benefiting businesses and consumers alike, the Commission said in a statement.

The mobile services would be run on the 2 gigahertz band, using radio spectrum from 1,980 megahertz (MHz) to 2,010 MHz for earth-to-space communications and 2,170 MHz to 2,200 MHz for space-to-earth, the Commission said.