Planning for the future

A global trendsetter

Communications is the new fashion. And in a fast-moving world of telecommunications, internet and multimedia business the latest trends are all important – yesterday’s technology is quickly superseded.

That's why ESA's latest telecommunications programme aims to set the pace – keeping European business and industry right at the forefront of the information age.

The global telecommunications market is a huge, multi-billion Euro business. So for European operators there’s no room for complacency.

Modern business needs the ability to adapt and respond quickly to changing market conditions. Nowhere is this more so than in the telecommunications marketplace.

ESA's 21st century telecommunications strategy has therefore been developed with this in mind. It is designed to adapt to changing circumstances and trends, whilst at the same time acting as a catalyst for the imagination, allowing the conception and development of new technologies.

This bold vision has been brought together under a set of programme lines which allow a quick response to the needs of industry.

The Telecommunications programme includes a wide range of activities – from analysing the performance of the global telecommunications market and studies on how to compete, to full development of new systems and technology-orientated activities.

Each programme line has a distinct purpose and diverse goals. This allows for different levels of participation and accommodates market driven motivation:

• Programme development
• Technology
• User segment
• Interactive multimedia
• Mobility
• Large Platform Mission
• In-orbit tests
• Inter-Satellite Links (ISL) demonstrations

Programme development

Activities are designed to germinate ideas and concepts that will determine the key areas of development and form the seeds of future telecommunications technologies and services.

Programme development therefore covers overall strategy, including the analysis of short and long-term requirements of industry, users and operators. It is designed to keep ESA’s telecommunications programme on the pulse of exactly what is happening on a global scale.

Typical activities therefore include market studies, system and services requirement studies, liaison with satellite and service operators, general monitoring, and providing a lead in the standardisation of services and systems.

More far-sighted studies focus on futuristic technologies and system concepts.

Support provided by Programme development includes evaluation of new system concepts, technologies and frequency bands, and their impact on the system concepts to which they may be applied.

Some of the long-term initiatives will be followed up by specific technology developments.