SWISSto12 and UNIVITY advance European 5G infrastructure in space

Swiss space-tech startup SWISSto12 and Paris-based satellite communications startup UNIVITY have successfully completed a Critical Design Review for two active antenna systems designed to deliver 5G connectivity from space. The milestone brings the companies closer to demonstrating both broadband and direct-to-device connectivity from a single satellite, and is a step towards sovereign European satellite communications.

Emile de Rijk, founder and CEO of SWISSto12, said the review was reached in under a year thanks to the company's proprietary antenna and payload technology and a vertically integrated delivery model. The project now moves into hardware production and an extensive verification and acceptance campaign.

What is being built

SWISSto12 is developing two active phased-array antennas for UNIVITY's 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) demonstration satellites. The first is an S-band antenna intended to connect standard 5G smartphones directly to satellites. The second is a Ka-band antenna operating at 26 GHz, which will support broadband services and links between satellites and ground infrastructure.

UNIVITY, founded in 2022 by Charles Delfieux, is developing a Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellite constellation. It aims to let telecom operators extend their existing 5G services into space under their own brands, complementing rather than replacing terrestrial networks. The work is part of UNIVITY's uniShape programme, backed by the French government's France 2030 initiative and the French Space Agency CNES.

What it means

Completing the review does not yet demonstrate working connectivity in orbit, but it is a step towards validating a satellite architecture able to support two different 5G services at once. UNIVITY's longer-term goal is a shared, neutral space infrastructure that gives European and international operators more control over their connectivity services.

SWISSto12, founded in 2011 as a spin-off from doctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), specialises in satellite payloads, antenna systems and compact geostationary satellites, using methods including 3D printing. This year it received €73 million in January from European Space Agency member states for its HummingSat programme and closed a €61 million Series C in July. UNIVITY raised €27 million in April.