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Transformative deep tech innovation is the key to unlocking value from the emerging space ecosystem – and there’s no doubt in my mind that the telecoms industry will play a pivotal role in this exciting future. Leading the charge are NTNs (non-terrestrial networks), a sophisticated mix of ingenious innovation and complex platform hardware.

Set to extend 5G and 6G mobile connectivity to the most extreme corners of earth, NTNs are enabled by a host of innovations that include advanced antennas, beamforming, signal processing, novel computational architectures and much more. AI will also play an increasingly important role in the evolution of not just NTNs, but mobile connectivity in general. I believe these technologies will start to influence not just NTNs, but much of everything else that’s happening in the space economy from a communications perspective.

Telecom business leaders should be optimistic about how the future will play out, but need to be mindful of the need for collaboration. The road ahead is as complex as it is commercially promising – and no one can hope to navigate the journey alone. It’s also vital for the industry to play a leading and influential role in defining the standards that will shape the space ecosystem. Integral to this is the imperative for interoperability and system integration.

For me, the current situation can be seen as the perfect marriage, the coming together of the mobile telecom and satellite industries. Satellite is smaller in comparison, perhaps giving mobile telecoms the upper hand in terms of influence, but satellite brings unfamiliar challenges to mobile operators. The standardization I’ve mentioned marks a change for the satellite industry, where previously proprietary standards and technology choices have prevailed. In a standards-led future, new ways will be needed to differentiate and innovate within a standard framework – and a go-it-alone strategy won’t be viable. Strong strategics partnerships will be vital.

From that perspective, let me explore the potential of telecom innovation in a little more detail. NTNs are essentially any network that’s not off the ground. They can be characterized as an amalgam of industries, technologies, standards and regulations that are converging from ground-based cellular networks and satellite systems. As competition hots up in space, successful players will form partnerships of satellite providers, HAP (high altitude platform) providers, terrestrial network operators and technology vendors.

And we’re not just talking about ‘cell towers in space’ – we’re envisaging space-based data centers and distributed network infrastructure that will connect the world faster and more sustainably than ever. There are naturally challenges to powering data centers in space, a new paradigm that I think is only a decade or so away. But processing data on-orbit and the reduction in data transmitted to the ground will reduce power requirements. Putting the hardware up there doesn’t sound immediately sustainable, but the long-term benefits will more than compensate.

Another breakthrough technology is free space optical communication (FSOC). This transformative approach to data transmission leverages light propagation through free space to deliver unparalleled high-bandwidth and low-latency communications. FSOC can transmit data over longer distances and higher speeds for both increased range and capacity, with much better resilience for interference-free operation.

Another key area of progress towards space data centers is the field of optical data processing with photonics integrated circuits (PICs). As our appetite for data processing grows, so does the need for advanced computing solutions. Photonic computing is an ingenious solution, offering better sustainability with low-latency compute. Through the power of light, photonics has transformative potential for future compute.

I also want to stress the importance of advanced antenna technologies and beamforming, including phased-array antennas and smart antennas. More than ever, they are regarded as the lynchpin for optimizing NTN performance, signal quality and coverage, and they’ll play an increasingly influential role in the wider space economy.

In a stratospheric application, the world’s largest commercial airborne antenna can provide widescale coverage of 5G at a fraction of the cost of terrestrial networks. Its beamforming elements deliver finely targeted coverage from an altitude of 20,000 meters, yet the antenna is light enough to be carried by extremely lightweight zero-emission aircraft.

Such ingenuity can be applied down on the ground too. It’s important for innovators to not just focus on the space segment of the new ecosystem. Development of user terminals back on earth, for example, offers the opportunity for differentiation and competitive advantage through novel handsets – maybe featuring transparent antennas.

Ultimately, space presents a new frontier of commercial opportunity. The big winners will be those who collaborate successfully, forge strategic partnerships and shape the standards and regulations that will inform interoperability and system integration. But there isn’t enough space for everyone. The future will belong to the platform owners who create satellite models for everyone’s constellations, not just their own.

Stewart Marsh is the head of Aerospace at Cambridge Consultants, part of Capgemini Invent, known as the deep tech powerhouse of Capgemini. With more than 20 years of experience in aerospace and telecommunications, Stewart helps companies achieve technology breakthroughs that unlock transformative business value, including a world-first push-to-talk satellite service and space-based carrier grade satellite connectivity that extends the reach of terrestrial services with fiber-like performance, global coverage and ultra-low latency.