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The i2CAT research centre will return 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 will showcase 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, in the future of 6G, and for validating new solutions and technologies. During MWC Barcelona, i2CAT will present its roadmap for deploying laboratories and experimentation centres in space communications, both in orbit and on the ground.
The i2CAT booth, located in the Generalitat de Catalunya pavilion (Congress Square 210, stand 14), will showcase technological innovation projects based on NTN communications deployed throughout Catalonia. Visitors will learn 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 will convene 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 will address cutting-edge technological developments, market trends, emerging applications, and access to experimental infrastructure in orbit.
The session will have an institutional opening by the Secretary for Digital Policies of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Maria Galindo, and experts from the sector. Representatives of European institutions such as the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) public-private partnership, pioneering companies such as Sateliot, Airbus GeoTech and Telespazio, and the European Space Agency will participate. Albert Tort, Secretary for Telecommunications and Digital Transformation of the Generalitat de Catalunya, will close the conference.
i2CAT participates in several activities during the congress, including 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 to be presented is a mobile application designed by the company 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. It will be displayed at the GSMA stand (Hall 4, Stand 4F30) every day from 3-6 March 2025.
