Univity Demonstrates 5G NTN mmWave Link from Orbit
Univity has completed an in-orbit demonstration of a bidirectional 5G non-terrestrial network link using millimetre-wave spectrum, onboard regenerative processing and time-division duplexing.
The test was carried out through the company’s uniSpark mission, launched in June 2025, and connected a ground terminal with a 5G base station hosted onboard a satellite in orbit. Univity said the demonstration is the first to combine regenerative 5G processing, mmWave frequencies and TDD operation in space.
The mission was conducted from a CNES site under France 2030 and was designed to test protocols derived from terrestrial 5G networks under orbital conditions. The ground terminal successfully synchronised and registered as a 5G terminal on the uniSpark network.
Unlike conventional bent-pipe satellite systems, the regenerative architecture processes the 5G signal onboard the payload and connects to a standard network core. The trial used the 26GHz band, with Univity positioning mmWave as a way to support future capacity while avoiding congestion in traditional Ku- and Ka-band satellite frequencies.
The use of TDD is also significant. Rather than requiring separate uplink and downlink bands, TDD shares the same spectrum resource over time between uplink and downlink communications. This aligns more closely with terrestrial 5G architecture and could support more efficient satellite-terrestrial integration.
The demonstration also validated mechanisms to compensate for propagation delay and Doppler effects caused by satellite movement, both of which are critical to maintaining synchronisation and data transfer in LEO and VLEO environments.
Univity is positioning the technology as a neutral space infrastructure layer for telecom operators, allowing them to extend their networks while retaining control of services and customer relationships. The company’s roadmap now moves to uniShape, a two-satellite demonstration mission, before the planned industrialisation of its future commercial uniSky constellation.