Technology
Thales said a deployment of 600 to 800 satellites could begin within four or five years.
PARIS (AFP) – Thales, Qualcomm and Ericsson on Monday unveiled a plan for smartphones to communicate directly with satellites, a “space network” that they hope will bring connectivity to the whole world.
The three companies plan to launch hundreds of satellites with 5G capabilities to cover “extreme geographical areas or remote areas across the seas”.
The plan would potentially eliminate base stations and antennas that current mobile networks need to send and receive data.
But the idea is still in its infancy.
The companies said they had carried out “multiple studies and simulations” and would now explore possible uses for the technology.
“The result could effectively mean that a future 5G smartphone could use 5G connectivity anywhere on Earth,” they said in a statement.
Among the possible benefits would be greater security, which could be useful to national governments.
They also suggested that space networks could be used as back-up during disasters or other large-scale failures affecting terrestrial networks.
However, the three companies do not expect an imminent deployment.
It was “too early to tell” when the first satellites might be in service, Ericsson’s Erik Ekudden said.
Thales said a deployment of 600 to 800 satellites could begin within four or five years.
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