Telefónica and the University of Málaga (UMA) have developed Victoria-Satélite, a hybrid terrestrial-satellite testbed designed to advance the integration of non-terrestrial networks (NTN) into 5G Advanced and future 6G communications architectures.
The project, supported by the European Space Agency and funded through the EU’s NextGenerationEU programme, aims to move satellite connectivity beyond standalone services and towards more native integration with terrestrial mobile infrastructure. It will provide a research and development environment for testing network resilience, coverage extension and service continuity.
Telefónica has deployed a flexible, scalable multi-orbit architecture designed to accommodate different satellite constellations. The system is currently being tested using a Hispasat geostationary (GEO) satellite, with plans to extend the platform to low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems in the future.
The infrastructure includes satellite communications equipment, tracking systems and an integrated architecture combining IP networking with satellite connectivity. A centralised monitoring and control platform provides real-time network visibility, remote operations and proactive incident management.
A key objective is to investigate how terrestrial and satellite networks can operate as part of a unified communications environment, rather than requiring separate network architectures and management systems. This includes exploring connectivity continuity across different access technologies, an important requirement for future 5G NTN and 6G networks.
The research will focus on use cases requiring resilient and low-latency communications, particularly critical services and applications where conventional terrestrial connectivity may be unavailable or disrupted. Potential areas include emergency communications, remote industrial operations and other services that depend on reliable connectivity beyond traditional network coverage.
The project also creates opportunities to investigate the network management and orchestration challenges associated with multi-orbit systems. Integrating GEO and LEO services into a common architecture requires different approaches to latency, mobility, routing and service assurance, particularly as terrestrial and satellite networks become more closely interconnected.