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Article By : George Leopold
Lockheed Martin and Omnispace are collaborating on a 5G satellite tv for pc service that will hyperlink to terrestrial wi-fi networks.
Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northern Virginia-based Omnispace LLC will discover joint growth of a satellite-based 5G community promising world protection.
The proposed orbiting 5G community would hyperlink with shopper, company and authorities gadgets, providing what the companions stated can be “ubiquitous communications worldwide” and “mobility, regardless of environment or location.”
The settlement introduced this week consists of Lockheed Martin’s area division in Littleton, Colo. Omnispace of McLean, Va., was based by veteran satellite tv for pc and telecommunications business veterans in 2012, Omnispace is growing a “hybrid” 5G community that will hyperlink terrestrial and space-based networks.
Backed by non-public fairness traders, Omnispace closed a $60 million funding spherical in early 2021. According the web site Crunchbase.com, it has to date raised $140 million in enterprise funding.
The firm’s 5G structure combines a constellation of non-geostationary satellites with its 2-GHz S-Band spectrum holdings that will hook up with terrestrial 5G cellular networks. The proposed space-based community would make use of 3GPP wi-fi requirements to allow “direct-to-device connectivity and interoperability,” the companions stated.
The hybrid community would additionally permit customers to “transition between satellite and terrestrial [5G] networks—eliminating the need for multiple devices on multiple networks,” in keeping with Rick Ambrose, govt vice chairman of Lockheed Martin Space.
The hybrid community is touted as delivering ubiquitous low-latency 5G connections.
Omnispace together with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps companions just lately demonstrated its hybrid 5G community for the National Security Innovation Network, a program workplace throughout the Defense Department’s Innovation Unit. During the demonstration, business 5G gadgets transmitted voice and knowledge providers over an emulated 5G radio entry community to an Omnispace satellite tv for pc.
Along with 5G wi-fi providers, the corporate stated additionally it is focusing on rising Internet of Things connectivity.
Proceeds from its current enterprise funding spherical can be used to safe its 2-GHz cellular satellite tv for pc service and complementary terrestrial spectrum.
Omnispace stated it expects the preliminary parts of its space-based 5G community to enter service in 2022.
“Our network will leverage harmonized 2-GHz spectrum to bring the power of 5G to users and industries around the globe,” stated Ram Viswanathan, president and CEO of Omnispace.
The partnership with Lockheed Martin additionally seeks to fill a commercial-user hole throughout the rising variety of communication satellite tv for pc constellations such because the SpaceX Starlink and the OneWeb consortium’s low-earth orbit networks. Those programs focus totally on web connections and offering community hyperlinks to IoT gadgets.
OneWeb introduced a deal this week with TrustComm Inc., a supplier of satellite tv for pc communications for the U.S. Defense Department. The companions stated they might start providing low-latency, safe knowledge and web connections to authorities customers by the tip of this yr.
This article was initially revealed on EE Times.
George Leopold has written about science and expertise from Washington, D.C., since 1986. Besides EE Times, Leopold’s work has appeared in The New York Times, New Scientist, and different publications. He resides in Reston, Va.
