The CTO of French satellite broadband startup has partnered with TDF, the operator of France’s largest network of carrier-neutral hosting sites, to assist in the integration of its proposed very low Earth orbit (VLEO) 5G services with terrestrial telecom companies.

On March 20, the companies revealed an accord to assess the practicality of utilizing cellular frequencies from telecom partners for VLEO services directed at user terminals being developed internally by CTO.

According to Charles Delfieux, who is the founder and CEO of CTO, the deal lays the groundwork for the venture to set up gateways at TDF locations, facilitating backhaul services and emergency communications between terrestrial and satellite networks.

“Beyond infrastructure, CTO and TDF share a unified vision: to act as neutral hosts for telecom operators — TDF on the ground and CTO from space,” Delfieux stated in an email.

VLEO Services Expansion

Last year, CTO obtained roughly $10 million from France’s state-supported Expansion Ventures fund for initiatives to position 1,500 small satellites at an altitude of 335 kilometers above the Earth.

While satellites at this altitude could facilitate quicker communications and smaller user terminals compared to higher orbits like LEO, where SpaceX’s Starlink network functions, they face increased atmospheric drag and other operational difficulties.

Starlink broadband operates at a minimum authorized orbit of 525 kilometers, although SpaceX has requested permission to function at lower altitudes.

According to Delfieux, the CTO is still scheduled to send a test payload into space in June on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission, which will be hosted by an Italian D-Orbit spacecraft.

The payload would facilitate initial end-to-end 5G testing at altitudes of 550 to 600 kilometers above Earth prior to CTO proceeding with its VLEO deployment.

Next year, CTO intends to launch its first two 350-kilogram VLEO satellites, with the complete constellation expected to be operational by 2029 for worldwide service coverage.

Delfieux states that merely 36 satellites positioned in the equatorial plane would suffice to offer an initial emergency connectivity service, guaranteeing connectivity even when natural disasters incapacitate ground-based relay antennas.

“In disaster scenarios, our inter-satellite links will enable connectivity to ‘hop’ between islands or to mainland areas where the terrestrial infrastructure is still intact, ensuring continued access through anchor gateways,” he stated.

Alongside network integration, he mentioned that TDF would offer local expertise and personnel to assist with rapid connectivity deployments in critical situations.