The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) is joining hands with the European Space Agency (ESA) to fully promote cooperation in 6G low-orbit satellite communication (NTN) technology.

ETRI announced on the 5th at the GSMA booth in the Mobile World Congress (MWC) exhibition hall in Barcelona, Spain that it had agreed to cooperate with ESA in the field of 6G low-orbit satellite communications.

The two sides discussed cooperation plans and reached a mutual agreement during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 held in Barcelona, Spain.

ETRI and ESA have agreed to cooperate in developing integrated technologies and international standardization between satellite and terrestrial networks in preparation for the 6G era.

This collaboration aims to develop 6G NTN technology to overcome the limitations of existing terrestrial networks and provide seamless mobile communication services in remote areas, oceans, and aviation where access is difficult.

6G NTN technology is a hybrid network that integrates existing terrestrial networks and satellite networks, and is evaluated as a core technology of the 6G era.

This technology enables efficient and wide-ranging communication services through organic connection between satellite and terrestrial networks.

To this end, the two organizations plan to jointly conduct 5G/6G NTN technology development and verification research based on 3GPP standards and expand cooperation with ITU-R and 3GPP standardization organizations.

In addition, there is a problem of frequency interference between satellite and terrestrial networks. We are jointly conducting research to resolve this issue. The development of technologies to secure interference mitigation strategies and network interoperability is expected to accelerate the commercialization of NTN-based services.

This is expected to provide solutions that can provide more effective network connectivity and user experiences.

ETRI President Seung-chan Bang said, “This collaboration will serve as an important stepping stone for leading the development and standardization of global 6G non-terrestrial network technology,” and expressed his expectations for strengthening technological leadership on the international stage through collaboration with ESA.

ESA Director Laurent Japart also emphasized the importance of cooperation, saying, “Collaboration between the two institutions will play a key role in promoting global technological progress.”

ETRI, in collaboration with ESA, is leading the international standardization work of 6G NTN technology by converging satellite technology and communication innovation.

In addition, the two organizations plan to continue developing technologies in various fields, such as satellite-ground integrated services, construction of next-generation space networks, and establishment of test beds through joint research.

This agreement is all the more meaningful as it is part of the '3GPP Standard-Based Low-Earth Orbit Cluster Satellite Communication Technology Development' research and development support project of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute for Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP). Through this, we plan to lead global standardization and contribute to the development of the 6G communication ecosystem through continuous research and cooperation.