Airbus, Keysight collaborate on sovereign, standardised 5G NTN | Computer Weekly

Keysight Technologies has announced it is collaborating on the Airbus UpNext SpaceRAN demonstrator, stating that Europe’s ability to control how future 5G networks are built, tested and operated will increasingly depend on non-terrestrial infrastructure and open, standards-based design.

Airbus and Keysight noted that the rapid evolution of 5G NTN faces significant technical challenges, including seamless integration between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, reliable mobility management and maintaining high-performance connectivity across dynamic satellite orbits. These hurdles are critical to enabling global coverage, low-latency communications, and future broadband and direct-to-handheld 5G services from space.

The Airbus UpNext SpaceRAN demonstrator initiative is aimed at exploring the capabilities of 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) using advanced software-defined satellite technology, both on the ground and in orbit.

The demonstrator will also look to tackle foundational challenges including mobility management, beam and gateway handover, and maintaining performance across dynamic satellite orbits, all prerequisites for scalable broadband and direct-to-device 5G mobile services from space.

Airbus and Keysight’s work is positioned around non-proprietary and standardised approaches to 5G NTN infrastructures, supporting European technological sovereignty and reducing dependence on closed satellite ecosystems.

It will explore both broadband and direct-to-handheld 5G NTN capabilities and conclude with the deployment of an advanced regenerative payload on an Airbus low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, featuring on-board signal processing and integrated gNodeB functionality to enable efficient and flexible network operations in space.

The Airbus UpNext SpaceRAN demonstrator will test the 5G connection on two different platforms. The first is a ground demonstration that will simulate a two-satellite constellation in LEO, testing key features like beam and satellite handovers, which are crucial for maintaining a smooth and continuous connection. The second is an in-orbit demonstration that will place a 5G non-terrestrial network payload on an Airbus LEO satellite, to act as a 5G base station in space. This phase is scheduled to launch in 2027, with in-orbit testing scheduled for 2028.

Keysight is providing what it calls advanced ground-based emulation to validate real-world 5G NTN use cases ahead of an in-orbit demonstration aboard an Airbus LEO satellite.

As part of a ground-based demonstration, Keysight is offering critical test and measurement services, including satellite channel emulation and user segment emulation, along with supporting software. These tools will help validate key 5G NTN use cases such as beam handover, gateway handover, and mobility management between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

Additionally, the collaboration is part of a broader effort to foster non-proprietary, sovereign and standardised connectivity services, enabling seamless integration between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. Keysight joins a select group of companies working with Airbus to build an interoperable ecosystem that supports the future of global communications.

“Participating in the Airbus UpNext SpaceRAN demonstrator is a testament to our commitment to advancing the future of satellite-enabled 5G,” said Eric Taylor, vice-president of aerospace, defence and government solutions at Keysight.

“Our test and measurement solutions are designed to ensure the reliability and performance of next-generation networks, and we’re proud to support Airbus in this pioneering step towards standardised 5G NTN from LEO.”