OQ Technology selected by ESA to advance 5G beamforming for next-generation satellite networks with BEAMSAT-5G

OQ Technology has been awarded by the European Space Agency under its ARTES programme a €1 Million contract BEAMSAT-5G, a new project aimed at accelerating the convergence of terrestrial 5G technologies and satellite communications.

The project, “Bringing 5G Beamforming Technologies to SATCOM through Breadboarding and Validation (BEAMSAT-5G)”, officially kicked off on 3 February 2026 with OQ Technology acting as prime contractor. This initiative will advance beamforming technologies, supporting their path toward industrialization and commercial deployment. The project is of significant importance for OQ Technology as the company is planning next generation of D2D satellites and payloads that can support high-capacity multi-beam phased array antennas for its Direct-to-Smart Phone service.

The company is launching 3 D2D own satellite missions with first-generation payloads to support two-way texting and voice messaging. Last year OQ Technology became the first sovereign European satellite operator to support emergency message broadcast directly to unmodified smart phones from OQ’s Low Earth Orbit satellites.

As demand for seamless, global 5G connectivity continues to grow, the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks has become a key industry priority. Advances in 5G and emerging 6G technologies have driven significant progress in beamforming, enabling more efficient use of spectrum, higher capacity, and flexible coverage. BEAMSAT-5G will build on these developments by assessing how terrestrial beamforming technologies can be adapted to meet the more stringent requirements of satellite communications, including link budgets, environmental constraints, and reliability.

“BEAMSAT-5G is a strategic step in bringing terrestrial 5G innovations into the satellite domain,” said Omar Qaise CEO of OQ Technology. “By advancing beamforming technologies for space applications, we are accelerating the convergence of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks and enabling scalable, standards-based direct-to-device connectivity worldwide.”

By enabling the integration of terrestrial 5G and 6G technologies into satellite systems, BEAMSAT-5G is expected to contribute to more cost-efficient, flexible and scalable satellite communications solutions, while accelerating innovation cycles across the ecosystem. The project further strengthens OQ Technology’s position at the forefront of 5G NTN and supports its mission to deliver seamless, global connectivity directly to standard devices.