DUAL-ACTIVE 5G NON-TERRESTRIAL NETWORK MODEM WITH SMART RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (ARTES 4.0 SPL 5G/6G 7A.089) - EXPRO+

Objective: The objective of the activity is to develop and test a 5G NTN dual active modem prototype with active resource management for improving link reliability and performance, whileoptimizing the space segment resources utilization.TargetedImprovements:-doubling the peak data rate compared to state of art modems.- reduction by half link outage time.Description: The need for a dual-active modem in 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) arises from the growing demand for reliable, high-performance communication links particularly inscenarios where terrestrial networks are unavailable or unreliable. A dual-active NTN modem can maintain two simultaneous satellite links, significantly reducing the risk ofoutages caused by shadowing, fading or interference. At the same time, it provides an additional communication channel that enables load balancing across space segmentnodes, helping to distribute traffic efficiently and improve peak user data rates. Active resource management is essential in this context. Strategies must be designed todynamically allocate resources based on real-time link conditions and performance metrics. These strategies should ensure that the satellite system can optimize keyperformance indicators, such as peak data rate and service availability, while minimizing the resources allocated to each link and network node (e.g. payloads). Developingcontrol plane methodologies is also a critical aspect of this solution. The control plane manages the signalling and control information required for the operation of thecommunication links. It enables the system to gather real-time measurements of links conditions, which are essential for making informed decisions about resource allocationand link management. These methodologies also provide mechanisms for communicating decisions to the network including satellites and user terminals ensuring that thesystem can adapt to changing conditions and maintain optimal performance.This activity will develop a prototype dual-active 5G modem, potentially based on open radio stacks, and implement a testbed to evaluate the prototype under realisticconditions. This testbed will include a channel emulator with multiple RF interfaces to emulate themultiple links. Channel performance as well as satellite system resourcesallocation will be tested for various operational scenarios, and both resource management methodologies and control plane techniques will be assessed.Procurement Policy: C(1) = Activity restricted to non-prime contractors (incl. SMEs). For additional information please go to:http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/Small_and_Medium_Sized_Enterprises/Opportunities_for_SMEs/Procurement_policy_on_fair_access_for_SMEs_-_the_C1-C4_Clauses