ESA and GSMA Launch €100M Fund for AI and 6G
The European Space Agency (ESA) and GSMA Foundry have announced up to €100 million in new funding for companies working on AI, 6G, and non-terrestrial networks (NTN). The initiative, revealed at MWC Barcelona, aims to accelerate innovation in next-generation connectivity and intelligence, blending space and terrestrial technologies.
This funding initiative builds on a partnership between the GSMA Foundry and ESA established in 2024 and is structured around four key pillars: AI for Non-Terrestrial Networks (AI x NTN), Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity, collaborative 5G/6G testbeds, and early-stage 6G innovation. Artificial intelligence is critical for orchestrating these hybrid networks, enabling the dynamic management of traffic and spectrum across multi-orbit satellite constellations. AI will be used to autonomously predict traffic patterns, optimize data routing, manage network security, and ensure signal quality in highly complex and rapidly changing satellite communication environments. Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) extend cellular communication by incorporating spaceborne and airborne assets. This includes not just satellites in Low, Medium, and Geostationary orbits (LEO, MEO, and GEO), but also high-altitude platforms (HAPS), drones, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) acting as flying base stations. Unlike in 5G where NTN support was added later, this integration is being designed into the core of 6G architecture from the outset. The goal is to create a seamless, unified system where devices can intelligently switch between terrestrial and satellite networks without user intervention, making NTN a standard capability like Wi-Fi or GPS. The Direct-to-Device (D2D) component aims to foster standardized connectivity directly to consumer smartphones and IoT devices, eliminating the need for specialized ground terminals. While 5G NTN capabilities are emerging for emergency texting on some new smartphones, 6G is expected to make ubiquitous satellite-based text, voice, and mobile broadband a reality for standard devices. This funding is part of ESA's long-running Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme. The ARTES 4.0 evolution of the program specifically aims to maintain the competitiveness of European and Canadian industry by catalyzing investments in next-generation satellite communication products and services. Demonstrations at MWC26 showcase tangible applications, including the remote control of lunar landers and humanoid robots from Earth. Companies like Nokia are using hybrid 5G and satellite networks to show how mixed reality can enable control of robotics on the Moon, a key use case for embodied AI in aerospace.
