The future of wireless communication is today being sketched out in the skies and in space. A new generation of intelligent aerospace platforms—drones, airships, and satellites—will be part of tomorrow’s 6G networks, acting as, in effect, base stations in the sky. They’re called non-terrestrial networks and are expected to roll out in the early 2030s.
Researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, are amid the vanguard of innovators now imagining next-gen telecom networks in the atmosphere, the stratosphere, and orbit.
The sky won't be the limit for next-gen wireless platforms
👁 Diagram of satellites, airships, and drones aiding network communication from space to Earth.Future wireless platforms will take a layered approach, from low-flying drones to geosynchronous satellites.
John MacNeill
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Margo Anderson is senior associate editor and telecommunications editor at IEEE Spectrum. She has a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in astrophysics.
I've recently heard that satellite connection was a bit inefficient. I'm surprised to hear that there is plans in the works to develop a larger mesh network with better hops so that we can improve network speed across the globe.