Objectives of the service
Emergency responders, civil protection agencies, defence units, and remote industrial operators all faced the same critical problem: when terrestrial networks failed — due to disaster, conflict, or geographic isolation — communication broke down entirely. Existing satellite solutions were expensive, required specialist equipment, and did not integrate with the standard devices teams already carried.
SkyWave solved this by providing a single, portable hub — carried in a rugged trolley or backpack, and deployable by one person in minutes — that instantly created a private, encrypted voice, video, and data network using standard smartphones and tablets. It combined satellite communications (including Low Earth Orbit constellations and the future European IRIS² system), private mobile (GSM/5G), mesh Wi-Fi, and Internet of Things connectivity in one autonomous, solar-powered platform.
This feasibility study, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) Kick Start programme, set out to validate the concept with real operational partners across five sectors, define a complete system architecture, demonstrate that the platform could be built from available components, and confirm a credible path to market through a sound business case and exploitation roadmap.
Users and their needs
SkyWave targeted operational communities across Italy and internationally where connectivity could not be guaranteed: civil protection and emergency services, defence and security organisations, critical infrastructure operators (energy, transport, utilities), maritime and remote industrial operators, and outdoor/recreational associations working in isolated environments. Several partner organisations were to be involved in co-designing and validating the service:
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NGS (Italy) — maritime surveying and coastal emergency response
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SORESA / Civil Protection (Italy) — disaster coordination and medical support
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E2K / Sam4SKA / ShipService (Italy) — remote industrial sites and infrastructure
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FSE Scouts d'Europa (Italy) — safe coordination in remote outdoor activities
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RenovaVida (Peru) — rural electrification and infrastructure monitoring
All users shared three core needs:
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Guaranteed connectivity when terrestrial networks were unavailable or destroyed
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Interoperability across agencies, devices, and communication domains — without proprietary terminals
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Rapid, autonomous deployment by non-specialist personnel under field conditions
The principal challenge was meeting all three needs simultaneously within a single, affordable, and portable platform. Integrating satellite, mobile, mesh, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies while keeping the system simple enough for non-technical operators — and secure enough for defence and critical infrastructure — represented the central engineering and design challenge of the project.
Service/ system concept
SkyWave gave users the ability to establish, within minutes and without specialist knowledge, a fully functional private communications network in any location — including areas where all normal infrastructure had been destroyed or was absent.
Once deployed, users gained access to:
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Voice calls between field teams and command centres, using ordinary smartphones
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Video and data connectivity for real-time situational awareness and coordination
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Private mobile network (Global System for Mobile Communications / GSM) accessible from any standard handset — no proprietary terminals required
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Sensor and tracking data from field devices, enabling location awareness and environmental monitoring
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Secure, encrypted communications with automatic switching between satellite and terrestrial links
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Remote management allowing command centres to monitor system status and connectivity from anywhere
At its core, SkyWave worked in three layers. A satellite antenna connected the unit to space-based networks, providing a resilient internet backbone regardless of location. A multi-link router aggregated that satellite connection with any available mobile (4G/5G) signal, managing traffic, security, and failover automatically. Finally, a local network layer — Wi-Fi, GSM, and sensor radio — connected all nearby devices to that backbone. An on-board battery and solar panels kept the system running independently for extended missions.
Space Added Value
SkyWave relied on three categories of space assets, each contributing a distinct and essential capability.
Satellite communications provided the backbone of the entire service. The platform then used Low Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity via Starlink, delivering broadband speeds exceeding 10 Mbps with low latency — performance that older Geostationary (GEO) or Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) systems such as Inmarsat and Eutelsat could not match at comparable cost. The architecture was multi-provider by design, ensuring compatibility with OneWeb and other constellations, and was to be aligned with the future European IRIS² system. Satellite Navigation (GPS/GNSS) provided precise positioning and timing for field units and asset tracking. Earth Observation data could additionally be integrated to support environmental awareness and damage assessment during disaster response.
The decisive advantage over competitors lay not in the use of satellites per se — tactical and enterprise rivals also used satellite links — but in how SkyWave integrated them. Where competitors provided a satellite terminal or a router, SkyWave used the satellite link as the resilient backbone of a complete, self-powered, multi-user local network. This transformed a single-user connectivity tool into a shared communication infrastructure deployable in under 5 minutes, at a fraction of the cost of military-grade alternatives.
Current Status
Completed to date: co-design workshops and structured questionnaires were conducted with seven operational partners, producing a validated set of user requirements and system requirements. A full system architecture was defined across four configurations (Backpack, Small, Standard, Full), all key components selected and characterised, and a proof-of-concept prototype assembled and bench-tested. A competitive analysis, market sizing, and complete business plan were also delivered.
A preliminary integration and validation of the prototype unit, including power autonomy testing, satellite link verification, and GSM-over-IP functionality was performed.
Final Review was held on 14 September 2026.
