The two consortia competing for the rights to operate the European Union’s Galileo satellite navigation system are planning to unite, according to a May 11 Reuters report. The report cites an unnamed source as saying the two groups — Eurely (led by Alcatel, Finmeccanica and Hispasat) and iNavSat (led by EADS, Inmarsat and Thales) — are planning to unite and quotes French daily La Tribune as saying the two groups already have submitted a joint bid.

If the two groups do unite, it likely will not raise many eyebrows. Speculation that the two groups would come together began when the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU), the organization formed to award the Galileo concession, did not name a concession winner by the scheduled March 1 date and extended the target date for the award to June 1.

When the March 1 deadline passed, Benoit Denis, research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, told sister publication Satellite News that the GJU may have delayed awarding the concession to bring the two consortia together. The GJU denied it was trying to unite the consortia under one bid.