In the big scheme of things, the Internet hasn’t been around very long and for much of the time since it was invented, it was just a luxury that not everyone needed. Today, however, the Internet is quickly becoming a necessary utility, almost as important as gas or electricity.

Unfortunately, there are many places in the world where reliable internet connectivity is not available, or it is very expensive. Placing towers and keeping them upgraded is very expensive, so the major providers are reluctant to invest in it beyond major population centers.

Fortunately, an alternative solution may be here sooner than most people expected.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has recently worked with Telesat to prove that it is entirely possible to connect to a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite using 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology. In laymen’s terms, this means that it is possible to use things like modern smartphones to connect directly to satellites at 5G speeds without the need for a tower at all.

If this feature is rolled out globally, it will have a dramatic impact on many things. The most obvious place where this is useful is in rural areas, which are often poorer. Providing them with access to reliable and affordable internet services will be a major boost, especially in countries where the internet is rarely accessed.

Another way that this technology could help is in disaster situations. If an earthquake, fire, tsunami, or other disaster hits, it often destroys cell phone towers, or at least leaves them without power. This cuts off much of the communication to the area, making relief efforts and recovery much more difficult. Needless to say, these types of disasters don’t impact satellites, so the communication in an effected region could continue on as normal.

Ships out on the ocean often have to use older satellite connectivity that is slow and expensive in order to communicate. Whether it is cargo ships, cruise lines, or any other types of ships out on the ocean, having the ability to connect each device to a LEO satellite will provide major boosts in reliability, speed, and cost savings.

To complete the testing, the ESA and Telesat signed a Memorandum of Understanding that provided the ESA with access to Telesat’s LEO 3 satellite. From there, the team harnessed Amarisoft’s 5G technology to connect to the satellite as it went across the sky.

They were able to successfully connect to the satellite with low levels of latency from the time it came across the horizon until it reached its peak at 38 degrees, and then back down.

In a statement, Alberto Ginesi, who is the Head of the Telecom Systems and Techniques Section of the Directorate of Technology, Engineering, and Quality (TEC) said:

“This world-first experiment demonstrates ESA’s technical excellence in advancing broadband satellite access technology. Building on the 3GPP standardization groups’ approval, we’ve proven 5G NTN specifications over a real non-geostationary orbit satellite link. Through this achievement, we’ve shown ESA’s capability to support advanced satellite broadband networks, paving the way for upcoming projects such as IRIS². I’d like to recognize the work of Augusto Marziani, Stefano Cioni, and Matteo Conti for carrying out this experiment.”

Creating a network of satellites that covers the entire planet is not nearly as difficult as it might seem. Other companies, such as Starlink, are already working on accomplishing this.

When this type of satellite 5G (or even faster) service becomes available, it will also boost competition when it comes to cell and internet providers, which could help to drop prices of Earth based connectivity options.

I would love to have 5G access from anywhere in the world.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about 50 amazing finds on Google Earth.