The EMEA Satellite Operators Association (ESOA) and the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGMN) have signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen their relationship and foster integration of satellite solutions into the 5G ecosystem.

The agreement brings together two widely recognized industry organizations working in satellite networks and 5G cellular communications. Conscious of the need to expand connectivity to as many people as possible, ESOA and NGMN will explore the synergies between satellite and terrestrial technologies, assessing possible business models that will both increase connectivity and foster growth for both sectors.

"The NGMN project on Extreme Long-Range Communications for Deep Rural Coverage provides essential guidance in terms of end-to-end requirements for rural scenarios. We are looking forward to a close co-operation with ESOA to jointly drive successful global development of the required 5G technology platform for the benefit of the whole industry. The integration of non-terrestrial networks with greatly expanded reach can help operators to provide services to most or all of their territory.” — Peter Meissner, CEO of the NGMN Alliance

“The cooperation between NGMN and ESOA is an important step forward to working towards true universal 5G through a network of networks. 5G needs a genuine commitment to making cross-sector cooperation a success in order to really deliver a tangible difference over 4G/LTE and to extend connectivity overall. The cooperation will therefore exclusively focus on technologies, their real business impact and their potential interworking and integration.” — Aarti Holla Maini, secretary general of ESOA