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The i2CAT research centre returned to Mobile World Congress Barcelona from 3 to 6 March (Fira de Barcelona Gran Via) to display its knowledge and pioneering projects in non-terrestrial connectivity. In this edition, i2CAT showcased the possibilities offered by non-terrestrial networks (NTN) to make access to communications anywhere and at any time a reality.
The Catalan research centre studies space communications and their interconnection with terrestrial mobile and wireless communications. This pioneering research focuses on transferring to space the concepts and architectures used in terrestrial networks, solving challenges such as applying the virtualisation of classic networks to satellite or hybrid networks, deploying classic network services on architectures that integrate terrestrial nodes and satellites, or integrating quantum security concepts in space communications.
Experimental research infrastructures are essential for researching and innovating in this field and validating new solutions and technologies. During MWC Barcelona, i2CAT announced the launch of Europe’s first Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) laboratory for non-terrestrial network (NTN) research and development. This innovative mission will consist of a small satellite called 6GStarLab that will experimentally validate new communication technologies in a real space environment and contribute to standardising NTNs, essential for the evolution of advanced 5G and future 6G.
Representatives of i2CAT, Open Cosmos, Generalitat de Catalunya, MWSE, UPC and Transcelestial.
The i2CAT booth showcased technological innovation projects based on NTN communications deployed throughout Catalonia. Visitors learned about the centre’s experimental research infrastructures and the opportunities of satellite communications to expand services in areas with low coverage and enable new use cases in sectors such as agriculture, livestock, traffic, and emergency management.
On the afternoon of 5 March, i2CAT convened the Catalan, Spanish, and European space innovation ecosystems at the headquarters of the Districte Administratiu de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Barcelona) to explore the role of non-terrestrial networks in the new paradigm of anytime, anywhere connectivity. The session addressed cutting-edge technological developments, market trends, emerging applications, and access to experimental infrastructure in orbit.
The roundtables gathered expert representatives of European institutions such as the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), the European Space Agency, and pioneering companies such as Sateliot, Airbus GeoTech, Cactus IoT, Indra and Telespazio. Albert Tort, Secretary for Telecommunications and Digital Transformation of the Generalitat de Catalunya, closed the conference by highlighting that collaboration, such as displayed in the workshop, is essential to create impact and progress.
From left to right: Sergi Figuerola, director of i2CAT; Irene Bernal, Product and Strategy Director at Telefónica Open Gateway; Beatriz Fernández, Core, SW & Platforms Head at Vodafone Group; Maria Isabel Fernandez, Head of Open Gateway at MasOrange, and Ana Moliner, Innovation Business Development Director at i2CAT.
Among the several activities in which i2CAT took part during the congress was the first use case of the Open Gateway multi-telco innovation lab, launched last October by the operators MasOrange, Telefónica, Vodafone Group, and i2CAT, which acts as coordinator. The lab allows companies and developers to explore and use telecoms’ capabilities through standardised APIs.
The proof of concept is a mobile application designed by LAUDE to ensure a safe environment for people protected by restraining orders. Among other functionalities, the multi-telco app allows the categorisation of specific sites as safe, checking the status of public spaces regardless of borders, as it is based on universal standard APIs and works in all countries.
