Satellite networks have long been viewed as a mere extension of mobile and fixed terrestrial networks to expand coverage and reach far-flung areas of the globe, currently captured in ongoing 3GPP standardisation efforts to integrate with terrestrial network assets. But similar to the evolution of mobile networks away from mere access technologies towards a compute-enabled service environment, the DIA Aerospace WG sees a similar service-rich environment emerging in the atmosphere above all of us.
The newly released whitepaper of the Aerospace WG outlines this very development along three key service categories, namely Internet services, Earth observation, and cyber-physical services, realised through a convergence of aeronautics, near-space, and astronautics beyond mere satellites, thus also including drones and commercial aircraft into this vision.
Extending on current views on Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) defined through, e.g., the European Space Agency and the NetworldEurope European Technology Platform, the Aerospace WG formulates a distinct architectural stance in viewing the future platforms as Internet services that seamlessly extend the emerging cloud-edge continuum into the sky, thus going beyond current integration efforts of NTN into 5G standards.
Download the whitepaper for a full scoop of the WG’s vision and views!
No responses yet