Satellite for 5G

ESA and 16 satellite industry leaders signed a joint statement on their collaboration over ‘Satellite for 5G’ at the Paris Air and Space show on 21 June 2017.

As part of an ESA ‘Satellite for 5G’ initiative foreseen over 2018–20 and beyond, ESA and satellite operators, service providers and manufacturers will work together on:

• 5G service trials, including satellite capabilities, with a focus on selected sectors targeted by 5G, so called ‘Verticals’, such as transport, media and entertainment, and public safety;
• transversal activities in the areas of applications development, standardisation, resource management aspects, interoperability demonstration campaigns, and supporting technologies;
• outreach activities. 

Signatories of the joint statement will consolidate the defining elements of the trial projects and transversal actions by the end of 2017.

These efforts are in line with, and will build upon, the existing initiatives of the European Commission on 5G and will seek to be complementary with other European, national and international initiatives.

The joint statement advocates further convergence between European industry and institutions on 5G, which will also be reiterated at the ESA/European Space Policy Institute conference on ‘Space and Satcom for 5G: European Transport and Connected Mobility’, 27–28 June 2017.

See also: https://artes.esa.int/space-and-satcom-5g

5G provides a major opportunity for European space industry, for space and satellites to become integral parts of the future generation of communications networks and services.

ESA will define a framework supporting industrial action and further strengthening and coordinating institutional support in Europe and in particular with the EC.