The new initiative is part of the "Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity" program, within the ESA's ARTES (Advanced Research in Telecommunication Systems) program, which aims to fund and develop innovative satellite technologies that benefit society as a whole. AccelerComm, together with Antwerp Space, will explore how the full functionality of a 5G base station can be implemented directly on board satellites, going beyond traditional "bent tube" architectures that are limited to relaying signals between users and ground infrastructure. The initiative aims to create a regenerative 5G NTN "gNodeB" demonstrator operating at Technology Maturity Level 5 (TRL 5), capable of serving multiple simultaneous users under realistic satellite channel conditions.
AccelerComm will contribute its highly optimized physical layer (PHY) technology to the activity "Processor technology for direct satellite-to-device communications, 5G/6G", providing the Layer 1 processing capabilities needed to enable energy-efficient, standards-aligned 5G connectivity in space environments.
“Regenerative NTN represents one of the most significant architectural transitions currently taking place in satellite communications,” said David Helfgott, CEO of AccelerComm. “Rather than satellites acting solely as transparent repeaters, the industry is moving towards networks capable of processing, managing, and optimizing connectivity directly in orbit. This offers significant advantages in terms of efficiency, flexibility, latency, and scalability, but also presents significant technical challenges at the physical layer. ESA’s support for this regenerative satellite demonstrator reflects the growing momentum of fully integrated, standards-based, intelligent 5G NTN networks.”.
The demonstration will incorporate advanced features, such as dynamic user behavior, beam hopping, and intelligent power allocation strategies, designed to optimize transmission performance in LEO satellite networks. The project is also expected to conform to some of the latest 3GPP NTN specifications, thus supporting the industry's overall push toward an interoperable 5G infrastructure, both satellite and terrestrial.
The contract with ESA also comes after a period of significant growth for AccelerComm overall. In April 2026, the company announced the granting of its 56th international patent, further strengthening one of the industry's most specialized intellectual property portfolios in 5G channel coding and physical layer acceleration technologies for terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. AccelerComm's technology is already deployed on more than 300 commercial satellites and integrated into next-generation silicon platforms that support advanced 5G connectivity.
“This award represents an important step for the European NTN network ecosystem as a whole,” said Rodrigo Moraes, Technology Manager and Systems Engineer at Antwerp Space. “ESA is helping to accelerate the transition to regenerative 5G satellite networks that are fully aligned with the future direction of global telecommunications standards. AccelerComm’s expertise in highly efficient physical layer processing makes it a key partner in helping to realize that vision.”.
Companies believe the program could help pave the way for future commercial deployments and new European initiatives related to regenerative NTNs, including next-generation sovereign connectivity and defense-related programs.
