Thales Alenia Space leads 5G direct-to-device demonstration for CNES with Capgemini and Thales
- Satellite Evolution Group
- 13 hours ago
- 1 min read
Capgemini, Thales, and Thales Alenia Space have been selected by the French Space Agency (CNES) as part of a government-backed call for projects under the France 2030 program to lead an innovative demonstration of 5G direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity.
The project named U DESERVE 5G will demonstrate the feasibility of direct communications between satellites and mobile devices or fixed terminals (5G direct to device, or D2D). A demonstrator satellite will be placed in low-Earth orbit to test interoperability between terrestrial and nonterrestrial 5G networks. The project will use a set of scenarios to evaluate how smoothly devices can switch between satellite and terrestrial 5G coverage, which is a crucial step toward truly global, seamless and uninterrupted connectivity.