connectivity leads the way to the next leap forward in terrestrial and satellite communications

by Giuseppina Pulcrano

and retransmitted. Every point is connected from the periphery to the center and back. It's a location at which application developers and service providers can come together to test and verify the feasibility and benefits of their 5G network applications and services. It's a true incubator, where the challenge is to simulate multi-domain collaborations and test hybrid satellite-terrestrial networks. The European industry needs to act fast to win a place in the market for 5G mobile services – 5G is 100 times faster than 4G and the network is yet to be used for satellite Internet. According to Ericsson Mobility Report 2022, 5G subscriptions increased by 110 million in the third quarter of 2022 only to hit a record figure of one billion at the end of last year. The scenario is expected to go through a radical change in just five years: in 2028, North America is going to record the highest 5G penetration reaching 91%, followed by Western Europe with 88 %. Globally, there will be 5 billion 5G subscribers, Ericsson said.

To secure the future of global connectivity, we need to enhance each one of its elements: technology, devices constantly connected to the Internet and a non-terrestrial global network. The European Space Agency has launched the "Space for 5G and 6G" program, to which Italy contributes by conducting several development and testing activities in support of the space sector. Experimentation is necessary and should always target vertical markets, cross-cutting activities, applications, standardization, resource management, interoperability demonstrations and supporting technologies. Outreach activities are just as strategic: informing, educating, training, and above all, combining ideas and experimentation for the benefit of consumers and citizens.

ESA's European Center for Space Applications and Telecommunications - ECSAT- is located at Harwell in Oxfordshire, in the UK. It is also known as the UK Space Gateway. ECSAT's flagship facility is the 5G/6G Hub, a place where data are dynamically collected

Last July, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Thales announced they would take 5G into space and take the lead by entering smartphone-use-case-focused testing and validation of 5G non-terrestrial networks (5G NTN). They plan to develop 5G connectivity via low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for mobile phone Internet. Potential applications range from medicine, and energy to telecommunications. However, the space-based network could also benefit government agencies and institutions and be used as back-up support to terrestrial networks in the event of major network outages or disasters.

The validation tests, which began last March, were greenlighted by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) that unites all telecommunication standards development organizations. What happens to 5G radio waves as they move both into and out of Earth's atmosphere is the challenge for a new era of wireless telecommunications. It’s a game changer setting new rules and leading to a real revolution: mobile communication will be more secure and resilient, thanks also to satellites.