The European Space Agency (ESA) and GSMA Foundry unveiled a series of joint initiatives to boost the mobile and satellite industry.

Unveiled at MWC Barcelona 2024, the partnership aims to develop terrestrial-satellite communication technology.

GSMA Intelligence’s claims that the partnership could inject an additional $30–35bn into the industry by 2035, providing a significant boost of up to 2.5% to the current mobile revenue base.

GSMA Foundry participants seeking collaboration will have expanded access to the ESA’s 5G/6G Hub in Harwell, UK, and the 5G/6G Telecom Lab in Noordwijk, Netherlands.

The GSMA will also introduce a new advanced training course to promote collaboration between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

The Non-Terrestrial Network Community will be inaugurated to incubate fresh projects and chart a roadmap for future initiatives and activities in the realm of terrestrial-satellite communication.

GSMA Foundry and the ESA will also push efforts to unify Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks.

Antonio Franchi, head of the ESA’s 5G/6G Non-Terrestrial Network Programme Office, expressed his pride in the collaboration, stating, “ESA is proud to partner with the GSMA on impactful initiatives, advancing connectivity solutions through the integration of satellite and terrestrial networks.

“Our aim is to connect everyone, everywhere, and at any time, and this collaboration is a significant stride in advancing the mobile and satellite communications industries.”