Our team and mission

This position is based at the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) - Harwell, UK

IMPORTANT: Due to the location of the ECSAT, only the students enrolled in a UK University or students with a UK citizenship or the right to work in the UK can apply to this internship.

The Space for 5G/6G Strategic Programme Line is responsible for the preparation and implementation of activities and programmes which aim at supporting the Space industry in developing converged 5G/6G networks, by seamless integration between satellite telecommunication networks and 5G/6G terrestrial networks. 5G and beyond to 6G promises to be a revolution in telecommunications and more importantly a catalyst and enabler for the digitalization of industry and society. This presents a great opportunity for the space industry to be part of this revolution and develop satellites, space networks, applications and services which will benefit humanity in the 5G era and beyond looking at 6G. Our mission is to develop technology and service roadmaps to drive and support industry in developing solutions providing global seamless connectivity, thanks to the successful integration of satellites and terrestrial networks.

For further information visit our web site: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic: 6G, AI and satellite telecommunications

Objective of the topic

Through extensive desk research and analysis, interns shall aim to build a comprehensive description of the technology challenges and opportunities for satellite telecommunications in the 5G and beyond era. This shall include the production of technology roadmaps and recommendations related to:

• How should a new generation of wireless technology (6G) be developed to meet key new demands?
• Contribute to the 6G vision and how satellite telecommunications can be part of it
• 6G will enable a rich new fabric of digital services, including extending human senses and ambient data in a fusion of the virtual and physical worlds convergence of digital world, virtual world and physical world
• The contribution of satellite telecommunications in the 6G ecosystem
• How satellites can be part of the 5G and 6G standardization activities 
• 6G will be a hybrid network of networks, comprising short range, wide area and satellite networks where seamless integration and use of edge computing are essential
• Edge Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence, alongside cloud computing promise to be fundamental enablers for future networks and 5G/6G. How can satellite telecommunication benefit from it and maximize their benefit producing and delivery a 6G roadmap which includes satellite networks
• Provide technical support to the 5G/6G Hub in demonstrations and testing 
• Provide support to XR demonstrations and tests in the 5G/6G Hub 

Project inputs

ESA will provide references and general introduction to the topic of satellite and 5G/6G, including current status on standardization, technology development, market trends, applications and services.

Main project outputs

• A report ad final presentation, describing findings and recommendations related to the above topics

See ESA websites for more information:
Space for 5G and 6G
ESA 5G/ 6G: Space to expand connectivity

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

Education

You must have student status and be enrolled at university for the entire duration of the internship. You should preferably be in your final or second to last year of a university course at master’s level in a technical or scientific discipline.

Additional requirements

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

Additional Requirements:

You should demonstrate good interpersonal skills, proactiveness and the capacity to work both independently and as part of a team.  An interest in XR development is considered an asset. 

Besides this, other additional requirements are:

• Knowledge and background in telecommunication networks architecture, and also preferably in satellite telecommunications solutions
• Knowledge in future cellular telecommunication, including 5G and beyond
• Knowledge of computer science advanced topics as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Appropriate candidates may be of the following backgrounds:

• Engineering schools/MSc with specialization on Telecoms
• Computer Science schools/MSc preferably with specialization on Telecoms, AI, ML etc