Excelerate Technology has won research funding made available through a partnership between Space Wales, the UK Space Agency and the Welsh Government to map how frontline social care staff can remain connected to the internet at all times — in vehicles, in people’s homes, in clinics and in care homes — so they can access and update patient records, use telemedicine and deliver safer, more efficient care.
Many community nurses, social workers and care staff currently struggle to access vital medical and social‑care records in locations where Wi‑Fi and mobile networks are unreliable. Care homes and older buildings can block mobile and satellite signals, forcing staff to pre‑download or print information, delay updates until they return to a signal, or miss opportunities for live remote consultation. Excelerate’s Field Connex hybrid solution, which combines satellite and mobile networks, will be tested to provide resilient, always‑on internet for frontline teams and to remove these practical barriers to real‑time care.
The study, funded through the Wales Space Cluster Catalyst Fund, will be delivered in partnership with the University of South Wales. It will map the precise connectivity needs of social care teams working in the community, assess the technical feasibility of hybrid solutions, and evaluate the commercial and budgetary case for rolling out equipment and services. The final output will be a development roadmap and commercial recommendation to guide practical deployment across social care settings which will be presented by Excelerate to Space Wales in March 2026.
The funding has been awarded as one of a small number of projects that help deliver on the ambitions outlined in Wales: A Sustainable Space Nation – the space strategy for Wales published in 2022.
Bethan Evans, Chief Operating Officer at Excelerate Technology, said, “This funding from Space Wales tackles a daily problem for care teams. Too many nurses and carers still need to pre‑download or print records because buildings and poor coverage interrupt mobile and satellite signals. That wastes time, creates inefficiency and risks gaps in patient information. Field Connex can give staff resilient, always‑on internet so they can record, consult and escalate in real time — improving safety, speeding care and freeing more time for direct patient contact.”
Dr. Rosie Cane, Cluster Development Manager, Space Wales, said, “This project shows how space connectivity can deliver practical benefits for health and social care across Wales and the wider UK. The space sector in Wales is at an exciting time and it is great to see new applications for space technology having a real impact on people’s lives, and in this case expanding telehealth and supporting frontline healthcare teams.”
