Space for 5G/6G

ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications has released a new white paper – published under the Space for 5G/6G and Sustainable Connectivity programme of ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) – that explores how European industry as well as lawmakers can capitalise on the opportunities created by advancing direct-to-device (D2D) technology; from sustainability solutions; all the way to disaster response.

A set of large-scale non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) trials aiming to showcase the vast utility of space-based 5G and 6G communications are set to be conducted across Europe as a part of the European Commission’s SNS JU 6G-SANDBOX project. ESA's Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme has joined the initiative to lend its portfolio of 5G and 6G NTN expertise. ESA is also inviting companies and research institutions working in this domain, who are engaged in current or previous ESA contracts, to take part in the trials.  

The paper – titled “Converging Earth and Space: Advancing Automotive” and featuring research conducted under the Space for 5G/6G and Sustainable Connectivity programme of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) – explores how the European automotive industry has already leveraged space services for connectivity, navigation and logistics, as well as how there are still avenues to further increase market competitiveness, passenger comfort, and safety by integrating space solutions into the automotive industry.

From the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT)’s 5G/6G Hub, British company UniVirtua has successfully demonstrated a new product called dashAlpha – a connectivity-enhancing software platform that offers a step forward in reliable connectivity for self-driving cars, transport as well as vehicles crucial for disaster relief.

ESA's Connectivity and Secure Communications and the Future Communications Research and Development Programme (FCP) at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have formalised a tighter research partnership on 5G/6G non-terrestrial networks (NTNs).  This collaboration falls within the Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme of ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES).

A new CubeSat developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) has made it to orbit as a part of the Direct Access Live Demonstration (LIDE) mission. Aiming to test the feasibility and demonstrate establishing a stable 5G connection from low Earth orbit, LIDE serves as a proof-of-concept to provide connectivity anywhere in the world – especially in underserved areas.

As part of a telemedicine demonstration, European Space Agency (ESA) teams based at the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) in Harwell, UK, and the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, partnered with leading telecommunications company Nokia to showcase telemedicine applications of the Real-time eXtended Reality Multimedia (RXRM) system.

ESA, Telesat and the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) RAL Space have reported a groundbreaking milestone in telecommunications technology, successfully establishing a Q-Band (38-39 GHz) link over LEO, between the RAL Space Chilbolton Observatory and the Telesat LEO 3 demonstration satellite.

A strategic vision for the future of telecommunications, where Artificial Intelligence (AI) serves as the cornerstone of next-generation networks, has been presented in a new whitepaper released by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Space for 5G/6G and Sustainable Connectivity programme.