Lockheed Martin and satellite start-up Omnispace have agreed to jointly develop 5G capability from space, according to CNBC. The partnership allows building a global 5G network that enables users to seamlessly transition between the satellite and the terrestrial network.
Omnispace CEO Ram Viswanathan highlighted Lockheed’s ‘depth of expertise in various markets as key to the partnership.
Lockheed’s space executive vice president Rick Ambrose said Omnispace has a very powerful vision of offering the service and getting it down to a mobile device.
The strategic agreement is a step towards building a hybrid network that combines the reach of a global satellite network with the capacity of mobile wireless carrier networks.
The partnership puts the companies in the growing field of space-based data communications, with key competitors such as SpaceX’s consumer-focused Starlink.
Viswanathan recognizes Omnispace’s differentiation as its ‘direct to device capability’ rather than the competitors’ ‘expensive and bulky’ ground terminals.
The next challenge for Omnispace is to deploy a ‘proof concept’ of its technology in space, even as the CEO says it will have a ‘dramatically lower cost than’ other satellite communication constellations. Lockheed Martin stock is currently gaining. LMT: NYSE is up 0.20%
