Satellites connect directly to 5G for the first time

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Canadian satellite company Telesat successfully connected a satellite operating in low Earth orbit (LEO) to the ground using 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology, IFL Science reported on December 27.

This is the first time in the world that this has happened, marking an important step towards establishing easy space communications that could revolutionize emergency response, improving services rural health care and support of industrial activity worldwide, even in remote areas.

Earlier this year, ESA and Telesat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) giving ESA access to the LEO 3 satellite that Telesat operates. This satellite plays an important role in testing low latency customer applications, antenna development and several other technologies.

In the new experiment, the team of experts used Amarisoft’s 5G technology and successfully connected to the satellite as it moved across the sky, from the horizon to a maximum height of 38 degrees and then back down. The connection remained stable throughout this time. Although there have been other experiments conducted with satellites in geostationary orbit, this is the first time a fast-moving LEO satellite (compared to users on the ground) has successfully connected using NTN 5G technology.

“This world-first experiment demonstrates ESA’s excellence in developing broadband satellite access technology,” said Alberto Ginesi, head of Telecommunications Systems and Engineering in the Department of Technology, Engineering. ESA’s Technical and Qualifications (TEC), explained.

A key innovation in the experiment is the use of open standards instead of proprietary waveform technology. Open standards are developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), an international organization that creates telecommunications standards. This means mobile devices can connect directly to satellites, reducing the cost and complexity associated with ground infrastructure.

The new achievement also opens up the possibility of performing remote surgery through reliable medical services, supporting autonomous vehicles, providing connectivity for disaster response teams, people living or working in remote locations, even improving in-flight internet service.