ESA’s 5G/6G Hub 

The 5G/6G Hub based at ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in the UK – is a place where solutions for converged satellite and terrestrial telecommunications networks are designed.

Features of the 5G/6G Hub:

• Platform for Events and Showcases of capabilities enabled by innovative uses of 5G and satellite communication technologies presented to VIPs, industry, and the general public.
• Engineering Demonstrations and verification of applications by testing and of proposed 5G converged network applications and services.
• Engineering Lab within which technical engineering and support can be provided to demonstrate and integrate new 5G and satellite communications capabilities and equipment functionalities.

Background to the 5G/6G Hub

Benefiting from the support of the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and aligned well with the UK Government’s 5G and 6G strategy, the hub initially focused on 5G, however, as the connectivity transformation continues, a further generation, 6G has become a part of the Hub promising even more innovation.

Developed with information technology company CGI, the 5G/6G Hub enables three types of activities, through the provision of a private 5G network with satellite communications in a business-driven facility designed to engage the wider community.

The 5G/6G Hub Vision

Each of the features of the 5G/6G Hub supports the other. The Engineering Lab supports the development of Demonstrators and Applications, and these Demonstrators and Applications support the outreach activities. The support of ESA ensures that the environment is considered “open”: it supports multiple satellite service providers and potentially multiple core networks, radio access nodes etc.

The 5G/6G Hub is a gateway for commercialisation of space-enabled business ideas and multi-domain collaboration. Stakeholders from all vertical sectors are welcome to come and see how hybrid satellite-terrestrial networks can contribute to their business.

ESA’s ambition is to extend the Hub’s technology to cover businesses at the Harwell Campus, and then across Europe and beyond to connect with other research facilities, fostering innovation in ESA’s Member States and globally. The 5G/6G Hub forms an integral part of ESA’s wider efforts to use space technology to enable connectivity.