By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
GSMA
Foundry and the European Space Agency (ESA) have unveiled a new funding
initiative worth up to €100 million to accelerate the convergence of space and
mobile technologies. The funding will support projects across artificial
intelligence for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity,
5G/6G Hubs, and early-stage 6G innovation, building on the successful GSMA
Foundry–ESA partnership established in 2024.
The
initiative focuses on four strategic areas: leveraging AI to optimize
multi-orbit satellite and terrestrial networks, delivering standards-based
connectivity directly to consumer devices globally, creating collaborative
5G/6G testbeds for operators and developers, and advancing early 6G
technologies including edge intelligence and advanced IoT.
Laurent
Jaffart, ESA Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity, highlighted
the significance of Member State support in enabling this collaboration,
emphasizing its role in developing seamless global hybrid network
infrastructure. Alex Sinclair, GSMA Chief Technology Officer, added that the
partnership demonstrates that hybrid satellite-terrestrial networks are now a
commercial reality, capable of enabling universal connectivity even in remote
regions.
At
MWC26 Barcelona, the ESA and GSMA Foundry NTN Showcase in the New Frontiers
zone will feature 15 live demonstrations of hybrid network capabilities,
including D2D connectivity, AI-driven network orchestration, and early 6G
applications. The showcase will also include live demonstrations of ESA’s LUNA
lunar exploration infrastructure, highlighting how 5G, satellite networks,
mixed reality, and robotics could support remote lunar operations.
The
event also celebrated the GSMA Foundry Excellence Awards, recognizing
innovators across the ecosystem. Winners include AWTG for Fixed Mobile
Convergence, Keysight & Sateliot for 6G Innovation, Lasting Software for
5G/6G Hubs, NextWorks for NTN integration, and OQ Technologies & Celeste
for D2D connectivity.
The
€100 million funding marks a major step in scaling hybrid network solutions,
supporting the commercialization of AI, NTN, and D2D technologies, and
advancing Europe’s role in next-generation mobile and space-enabled
connectivity.
