ESA, together with a consortium of European satellite industry and satellite and terrestrial 5G technology providers, has developed a study to assess future 5G space-based infrastructures and their associated system architectures, with the view to extend the capabilities and impact of 6G technologies.
This study, developed through ESA’s 5G-IS (5G system infrastructure study) project, showcases a pathway to seamlessly integrate space-based networks with terrestrial communication systems, with the aim of offering connectivity for citizens and industries across ESA Member States and the globe, wherever the location.
The project is led and funded by ESA, under ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications’ Space for 5G/6G and Sustainable Connectivity programme line. The study was primed by Airbus Defence and Space in collaboration with Eurescom, Fraunhofer FOKUS and IIS, and the University of the Bundeswher Munich.
Space-enabled communications technologies could further enhance numerous use cases across society and the economy. Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) have been highlighted as a technology that is capable of accelerating the digital transformation of mobility sectors, with the white paper identifying vehicle, rail, maritime, aviation, logistics, industry 4.0 (technologies digitising the manufacturing sector), agriculture, extraction, finance, public protection and disaster relief, utilities, smart cities, health, broadcasting, and consumer.
With such a broad range of capabilities, each sector has varying levels of mission and user requirements, showcasing the breadth of impacts NTNs can have on our economies. Key architectural elements such as frequency spectrum, payload, ground, network and user segments were considered to meet use case requirements, whilst ensuring they complemented with mobile operators and current spectrum and orbit users.
The study indicates that a 5G space-based system would be financially sustainable while remaining affordable to consumers. Taking an example of monthly subscription fees, these could range from €6 for basic connectivity up to €60 for premium services, meeting the economic and capacity needs of a wide range of consumer and business users.
The study highlighted the need to expand existing partnerships with industry associations, such as 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) which is working to create interoperable systems for the automotive industry with Terrestrial Networks (TNs) and NTNs. These efforts are developed through the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which works to ensure standardisation for NTNs.
Business cases for 5G space-based infrastructure are growing, with direct-to-device and government and business connectivity services well under development. Future 5G and 6G technologies are anticipated to further support markets, but these technologies and associated research will need ESA and Member State to support to ensure European companies remain in and ever-increasing competitive industry. This requires the necessary investment and expertise to meet a timeframe that shortens with each day, to develop, build and launch satellites into Low Earth Orbit and other orbits, demonstrating and maturing Europe’s capacity to equip its industries and citizens with connectivity that makes a difference.
Emerging concepts like Joint Processing and Communication (JPAC) and Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) promise multi-purpose satellite payloads. These innovations could simultaneously handle data processing and communication tasks, dramatically improving mission efficiency and functionality.
These efforts to provide capabilities that can be re-used for different services and use cases will focus on the development of a repurposable 5G payload as a service. The 5GEOSiS - 5G Earth Observation Server in Space project, also funded and led by ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications directorate is driving these efforts.
“ESA is proud to be working with our industry partners to evolve and develop key 5G space-based technologies, which have the potential to enhance lives and businesses across our Member States,” said Antonio Franchi, Head of ESA’s 5G/6G NTN Programme Office. “This study showcases the real impact that we can have, with an evolving business case to be made across the various sectors, we look forward to realising the potential of NTNs and their complementing role with existing TNs.”
“5G-IS activity holistically addressed the design of 5G and beyond and even 6G-space-basedinfrastructure. The study followed a co-creation, co-design approach involving representatives of vertical sectors to identify, categorise, and prioritise those use cases better served by 5G-space-based infrastructure under technical and market fit criteria. The activity provided a first-in-kind contribution to the NTN sector detailing technology roadmap and associated services exploitation models,” said ESA’s Maria Guta, Senior 5G/6G Satellite Solutions Architect.
Read the white paper in full detail.
