TECH

Consortium of companies working to develop a 5G satellite network

Smart Communications, a division of Philippine telecommunications company PLDT, and US-based company Omnispace are set to demonstrate the capabilities of a 5G network based on low-orbit (LEO) spacecraft. At the same time, there are still no complete 3GPP standards and specifications in this area.

Several use cases are being considered for 5G satellite infrastructure. This, in particular, is the deployment of mobile networks in remote and difficult-to-reach regions, monitoring of weather phenomena and natural disasters based on the Internet of Things and various sensors, telematic networks for transmitting information, etc.

Omnispace is developing a hybrid satellite communications network. In April and May, the company launched the Spark-1 and Spark-2 spacecraft, which will serve as the basis for the orbital segment of the world's first 5G satellite network. These devices will be able to interact with terrestrial networks using the 2 GHz band.

The Omnispace infrastructure is expected to be the world's first 3GPP-compatible 5G satellite network. It will bring 5G connectivity to billions of consumers around the world, allowing subscribers and devices to exchange data in real time over a single seamless network.

AVnews