Making video calls while traveling – or when faced with an unstable internet connection – just got easier, thanks to a technology that allows devices to seamlessly bond satellite and ground connections. The European Space Agency (ESA) recently partnered with British advanced networking technology company UniVirtua to conduct a live demonstration of the dashAlpha platform, which could be used to uninterruptedly connect vehicles essential to disaster relief as well as self-driving cars.
The platform can create a single high-bandwidth and secure connection, resilient to network failures by integrating different types of wireless connections – including satellites, 5G and 4G mobile networks and Wi-Fi. The system can also monitor and automatically bond connections based on speed, stability and availability, enabling continuous content streaming when the network changes.
The live demonstration, conducted at ESA’s 5G/6G Hub in Harwell, UK, on 24 July, involved using UniVirtua’s dashAlpha d500R to connect multiple telecommunications satellites and 5G carriers simultaneously. It also included machine learning to predict satellite and 5G bandwidth performance capabilities, improving the accuracy of connection selection and ensuring optimal reliability.
The test demonstrated uninterrupted high-bandwidth video calls when bonding SpaceX’s Starlink satellites with a 5G mobile network by Vodafone. The quality of the call was unaffected even when one of the connections was deliberately cut off.
Thanks to the platform’s flexible setup, new types of connections can be added. Its software-defined design means it can run on different devices, helping reduce costs and adapt to widely available hardware.
The demonstration was supported by the Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme, under ESA’s programme of Advanced Research in Telecommunication Systems (ARTES), as well as by the UK Space Agency.
“ESA is proud to have supported UniVirtua’s development of dashAlpha,” said Antonio Franchi, Head of ESA’s Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme. “Through this project, UniVirtua has demonstrated their strong expertise in providing seamless connectivity on the move in remote conditions. Their technology development is crucial for industries requiring resilient connectivity, whether on land, air or sea.”
“UniVirtua has developed and successfully demonstrated a hybrid connectivity software solution at the ESA 5G/6G Hub, connecting terrestrial 5G and non-terrestrial communication carriers. This achievement highlights the benefits to using mixed approaches to deliver resilient, high-performance connectivity,” said Angelos Goulianos, 5G/6G Systems Engineer responsible for ESA 5G/6G Hub implementation.
“We are thrilled to have successfully demonstrated dashAlpha in collaboration with the ARTES 4.0 Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme,” said Joseph Poole, Chief Executive of UniVirtua Limited. “This opportunity allowed us to enhance the capabilities of our dashAlpha platform to create transformative solutions that can significantly benefit the wider community in the provision of secure and seamless connectivity.”
