5G and Satellites: A Viable Ecosystem?

Abstract

A key element of modern broadband mobile communication systems is global positioning. Initiated by military demand, the service has found its way into any modern mobile end user device. The global availability is based on an ensemble of low earth orbiting satellites (GPS, Glonass, Galileo, …) and has enabled a multitude of service variants with an enormous business potential. Opposed to that, broadband mobile communication services are still provided by local terrestrial networks only (with a few exceptions from geostationary satellites). Network capacity and in particular network coverage remain to be a serious problem. A future 5G network may resolve the capacity problem but will remain to be limited w.r.t. global coverage. This might be tolerable for personal communication but will be decisive for safety critical systems such as future autonomous vehicles. Hence, we will investigate whether satellites in low earth orbits can help improving global coverage as an integral part of a future 5G ecosystem.