Sharp teams up with Mitsubishi, NICT, TECHLAB to advance LEO satcom
By enabling deployment on mobility platforms such as drones and vehicles, applications of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication (satcom) will be significantly expanded, ensuring communication lines in mountainous areas and disaster zones.
Japan’s Sharp Corporation has reached an agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and TECHLAB to collaboratively develop ultra-compact and lightweight LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite communication user terminals for mobility applications.
LEO satellite communication enables high-quality, high-speed connectivity even in challenging environments such as mountainous regions, at sea, and on remote islands. Sharp began developing LEO satellite communication user terminals in 2023, applying design and communication technologies honed through smartphone development to create a compact model (approximately 446 x 446 x 66mm) weighing around 7kg.
“The goal of this agreement is to accelerate efforts towards practical implementation by fiscal 2025, targeting deployment on vessels and other platforms,” Sharp said in a media release. “With this new agreement, the development of even smaller and lighter LEO satellite communication user terminals will commence in collaboration with Mitsubishi Chemical, NICT and TECHLAB.”
A form factor about one-tenth the size (approximately 200 x 200 x 30mm and 1kg) of the currently developed terminal will be aimed through the development of lightweight, high thermal conductivity composite materials and superior heat dissipation designs.
By enabling deployment on mobility platforms such as drones and vehicles, applications of LEO satellite communication will be significantly expanded, ensuring communication lines in mountainous areas and disaster zones, enabling real-time location data transmission, and facilitating usage in autonomous vehicles, the media release said.
