A consortium of Hungarian companies has launched a research project focusing on non-terrestrial networks, which use satellites for wireless communication, Szabolcs Szolnoki, a deputy state secretary at the National Economy Ministry said. The project, dubbed RAVEN (Resilient Access Validation for Evolving NTN), is led by C3S Kft, a university spin-off, and includes Molaris Kft and Obuda University, Szolnoki said.
C3S managing director Gyula Horvath said the project will produce an 8U CubeSat that will be used to test how non-terrestrial networks can fill in gaps in the coverage of terrestrial 5G networks. NTN communication as defined in 5G is a world first, allowing subscribers to terrestrial public mobile networks to connect to each other via base stations located in the space segment. This approach complements terrestrial networks where their coverage is limited or cannot be economically deployed, and can therefore be particularly significant in uninhabited or hard-to-reach areas, during natural disasters, and in supporting future autonomous systems and global IoT applications. RAVEN is demonstrating the technology on an 8U CubeSat platform. The satellite provides an opportunity to study the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks and to test 3GPP-based solutions in a real space environment.
The project will start in 2026, with the satellite expected to be launched in 2028, followed by 5G/6G NTN demonstration experiments in a real space environment. RAVEN provides an opportunity for Hungary to become an active contributor to the development of satellite 5G technologies, said the managing director. The results of the project could also contribute to the standardization and industrial introduction of NTN solutions at the international level, he emphasized.
Source: XpatLOOP
