The Mobilenet research group at UMA is shaping the next generation of network technologies, focusing on practical applications for mobility. This multidisciplinary team, comprising over thirty experts, aims to define future communication standards, extending beyond 5G and 6G.
Real-time reaction capability is crucial in mobility. The developing technology would allow a vehicle to warn nearby vehicles of an impending collision, facilitating evasive maneuvers, as explained to EFE by professor Raquel Barco, from the Department of Communications Engineering at UMA.
Furthermore, engineers from the Higher Technical School of Telecommunication Engineering are working on systems that will enable smart mobile devices to connect intelligently, even to the nearest satellite if terrestrial networks are unavailable. These investigations, which sound like science fiction, are being conducted at the ‘Málaga Satellite Center’, Europe's first research and validation laboratory for mobile satellite communication.
This center, inaugurated in October 2025 on the university campus, is the result of a strategic alliance with Vodafone, providing infrastructure, and AST SpaceMobile, a space technology provider. The Spanish Space Agency (AES) co-finances the project, while UMA contributes the space and research talent.
Currently, the team is focused on ‘Project Saturno’, based on non-terrestrial networks (NTN). The objective is for commercial mobile phones to be able to connect via satellite, ensuring coverage even in areas without signal or during emergencies such as power outages or floods.
NTNs extend connectivity to remote areas, oceans, and aircraft where traditional towers are unfeasible. The need for alternatives to terrestrial repeaters has been highlighted by power grid failures or damage to infrastructure during recent natural disasters.
To ensure seamless transitions between terrestrial and space coverage, hybrid networks are being developed that connect low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites with 4G and 5G terrestrial networks. The project also explores the use of high-altitude platforms (HAPS) and drones for uninterrupted global coverage.
Objectives include promoting global 3GPP standards for the space telecommunications sector, reducing interference, validating software, and automating network management. The UMA engineering team has a long history, having worked on AI for mobile network management for over 25 years, collaborating with companies like Nokia and Ericsson.
