Smart networks bringing the future closer

MECON invests in technologies that connect the sky and the earth, paving the way for faster, safer and more efficient communications.

A new step towards global connectivity

The MECON – Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) over NTN for Beyond 5G & 6G operation, co-financed by COMPETE 2030, is driving the next generation of mobile communications. Its goal is to develop solutions that integrate terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, ensuring universal coverage — even in remote, maritime or polar areas.

The integration of these networks promises to transform the way the world communicates. Current 5G networks are still unable to guarantee economical and continuous connectivity across the globe. MECON has therefore emerged to respond to this growing need for global and reliable communication, while investing in cutting-edge technologies to reduce latency and increase the energy efficiency of communications.

According to Duarte Alemão, R&D Director at Beyond Vision, ‘national support through the COMPETE 2030 programme has been essential for the advancement of the MECON project, enabling the development of a first proof of concept focused on the integration of UAVs into terrestrial and non-terrestrial (satellite) networks based on 5G technologies’. This approach reinforces the importance of cooperation between research and industry, which is fundamental to accelerating technological transition in the telecommunications sector.

Innovation that connects technology and sustainability

Based on 5G technologies and development towards 6G, the project focuses on creating hybrid architectures that ensure ultra-reliable, low-latency communications. These solutions will optimise critical operations in areas such as agriculture, forestry and emergency support.

According to Duarte Alemão, MECON ‘focuses on an ecosystem that enables, among other things, emergency response (“first responders”) and takes the first steps towards even more innovative technologies such as 6G and O-RAN’. This vision highlights the project’s potential to support crisis situations and contribute to a more connected, resilient and secure society.

Connectivity for a world without borders

The project team has made significant advances in artificial intelligence, network orchestration, resource mobilisation, interference detection and cancellation, as well as radio resource management and the positioning of UAVs and other devices. These developments aim to ensure stable, fast communications with less environmental impact.

As Duarte Alemão points out, ‘this investment has driven progress in areas such as artificial intelligence, network orchestration and resource mobilisation, interference detection and cancellation techniques, radio resource management and scheduling technique improvement, and the positioning of UAVs and other devices, paving the way for universal 5G/6G network coverage’.

MECON thus represents a firm step towards the global integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, with a direct impact on technological competitiveness and sustainability. More than an engineering project, it is a strategic commitment that prepares Portugal for the future of communications — a future without borders.

Links 

Beyond Vision | Website