Sofant Technologies, the Scottish radio technology company, has received a significant £6.2 million backing from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA)

The funding will support the the commercialisation of its low-cost low-power satellite communications platform.

The company said its platform solves the most pressing power consumption and heat problems faced by the next generation of 5G and satellite communications systems via its radio frequency microelectromechanical (RF MEMS.)

The funding from the ESA – secured under an Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) contract – will support Sofant Technologies to complete the commercialisation of a satellite communication terminal, allowing users to connect to the cloud via a new generation of low-latency, super-fast satellite networks.

Sofant’s platform will enable Satellite Communication (SatCom) and 5G wireless networks to operate with 70 per cent less power, a significant step forward as 5G adoption accelerates towards 1 billion users by 2022.

By connecting devices wirelessly via a satellite network, Sofant Technologies’ terminal will reduce the needs for terrestrial infrastructure and make it much easier for people in rural and remote locations to get online.

“We are honoured that the UKSA and the ESA have agreed to support the commercialisation of Sofant’s technology,” said David Wither, chief executive, Sofant Technologies. “They have a clear understanding of the technical challenges faced by the satellite communications industry as it seeks to exploit the promise of a new generation of satellite networks. They also share our belief that a scalable technology platform which solves power consumption and heat problems in phased array antennas is critical for the future wireless communications. We look forward to working with the team at the ESA throughout this project.”

This announcement comes as Sofant Technologies gears up for its first Series A funding round, to scale its base in Edinburgh and triple its headcount from 16 to 48 over the contract period.

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