CTO and ESA cooperate to launch European space-based 5G connectivity

As the race for space-based communications heats up, satellite connectivity services provider Constellation Technologies & Operations (CTO) is looking to gain a higher orbit through a memorandum of intent with the European Space Agency (ESA) to conduct joint experiments in low Earth orbit (LEO) focusing on the “Early Test”, the first regenerative payload operating in the 5G mmWave band onboard a satellite scheduled for launch in June 2025.

The two parties say their work will result in a shared infrastructure model that enables competitively priced coverage that complements existing fibre or cellular networks, without requiring massive capital investments. This, they say, will open a new chapter in telecommunications – a controlled convergence of space and terrestrial networks, combining industrial ambition with digital inclusion.

CTO aims to enable telecoms operators to provide high-speed, low-latency internet access from space, complementing terrestrial networks. Through very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellites and the use of telecoms operators’ 5G spectrum, the company believes it can deliver a “high-performance, affordable and sustainable” solution to meet the evolving needs of the global connectivity market.

In addition to furthering CTO’s own objectives, the agreement reflects a shared ambition to strengthen Europe’s role in space innovation and competitiveness at a time when satellite connectivity is largely dominated by American and Chinese giants. CTO and the ESA regard their partnership as a pioneering experiment to enable European space-based 5G connectivity.

Moreover, CTO believes it can champion a “bold” made-in-Europe alternative based on a shared, neutral and independently operated space infrastructure that empowers telecoms operators to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet from space, to complement terrestrial networks.

As a future global provider of internet services from space, CTO is confident it can offer telcos around the world a compelling alternative: a VLEO constellation that takes advantage of their own 5G mmWave spectrum to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity, even in remote, rural or crisis-stricken areas.

For its part, ESA, a key supporter of the development of 3GPP-compliant non-terrestrial networks (NTN), sees this initiative as a driver for European innovation and autonomy. The combination of a regenerative payload developed in France and ESA’s experimental capabilities at ECSAT in the UK marks a major step forward in the race for European technological sovereignty.

At the core of the collaboration is a real-world trial from LEO using a regenerative 5G payload using telecom operators’ 5G FR2 (mmWave) spectrum. Designed as the technological pathfinder of CTO’s future constellation, the test aims to validate the interoperability of space and terrestrial networks, enabling what is hoped to be high-speed, low-latency, cost-effective and sustainable hybrid connectivity.

By aligning their respective strengths, CTO and ESA say they are laying the groundwork for a sustainable European hybrid connectivity ecosystem, potentially offering a counterweight to the hegemony of some commercial constellations. As part of this structured cooperation, CTO and ESA will jointly conduct in-orbit test campaigns for 5G NTN mmWave technologies and share expertise, resources and infrastructure to maximise the scientific and operational impact of the trials.

Commenting on the partnership and its aims, CTO founder and CEO Charles Delfieux said: “This alliance with ESA reflects a shared ambition: to build a competitive European sovereignty in space connectivity, powered by bold technology designed and developed in Europe. We’re proving that it’s possible to compete on a global scale without compromise, giving telecoms operators back control over their future in space. Space is the new frontier for telecoms.”

Laurent Jaffart, director of connectivity and secure communications at ESA, said the agreement aligns with its strategy to support the rise of innovative European players and jointly build resilient connectivity. “The upcoming tests with CTO will pave the way for new hybrid use cases at the intersection of terrestrial and space networks,” he said.