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Building future global connectivity with space digital infrastructure and Non‑Terrestrial Networks
NEC Laboratories Europe is advancing the next generation of Non‑Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and space digital infrastructure by bringing proven terrestrial technologies – including optical networking, IP routing, AI-native networking and 5G/6G systems – into space.
Our research on non‑terrestrial networks advances satellite networking technologies for NEC Aerospace Systems, transforming decades of terrestrial 5G networking leadership into intelligent space-based infrastructures.
Building on this expertise, we develop low-latency, resilient and high-capacity global connectivity solutions. These solutions seamlessly integrate terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks based on 5G, with a clear path to beyond‑5G evolution.
We envision future communication systems where satellites, aerial platforms, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and terrestrial infrastructure operate as a unified ecosystem supporting mission‑critical services, global connectivity, infrastructure monitoring and real‑time sensing.
Our vision: space as an extended digital infrastructure
Aligned with NEC 2030VISION, we view space as a critical extension of digital society – connecting cities, people, businesses and essential services across time and geography through resilient and intelligent infrastructures.
Through space digital infrastructure, NEC aims to realize:
Ubiquitous and resilient global connectivity
Enabling seamless communications beyond terrestrial coverage limits across remote, maritime, airborne and disaster-affected regions.
Reliable and mission-critical communications
Advancing resilient communications for emergency response, disaster recovery, defense and critical infrastructure protection.
Intelligent integrated terrestrial-space networking
Developing architectures that seamlessly and dynamically integrate terrestrial, satellite and aerial platforms into unified communication systems.
Intelligent radio environments and advanced connectivity
Investigating reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) and software-defined propagation technologies to improve communication performance in space, airborne and mobility scenarios.
Semantic-aware data exchange and space-based sensing
Supporting next-generation digital services through GenAI-driven local processing and efficient delivery of Earth observation data, mobility services and distributed sensing applications.
With NTN technologies, NEC is extending mobile and broadband connectivity through Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite constellations and complements existing terrestrial infrastructure. While NEC Aerospace Systems develops satellite onboard software and ground systems, NEC Laboratories Europe strengthens networks by enhancing their capabilities for next-generation satellite systems and services including network intelligence, resilience, orchestration, converging power, computing, sensing and communication efficiency.
Our current research areas include:
AI-native orchestration for integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial 5G/6G networking
Reliable, efficient and resilient mission-critical satellite communication systems, combining could-native, software-defined and COTS SWaP-C scalable payload, onboard edge AI, resilient and autonomous self-reconfiguration capabilities
Semantic and efficient data transmission for constrained environments
Alternative positioning and localization technologies beyond GNSS
Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and intelligent radio environments for NTN and mobility scenarios
Interested in advancing research, testing new technologies or co‑innovating in NTNs and space digital infrastructure? Contact us for more information about or research or technology consulting services.
