The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) has succeeded in the world's first real-time demonstration using 6th generation (6G) terrestrial and satellite integrated hyperspace communication technology, heralding a shift in the future mobile communications paradigm.

ETRI announced on the 8th that it has succeeded in implementing in real time an urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle actually flying between cities and being connected to ground and satellite networks without interruption through a test bed consisting of a ground base station, satellite base station, integrated terminal, and 6G core.

This is evaluated as a core basic technology of the 6G era and is cited as an example of technological leadership proven on the international stage.

ETRI applied 'dual steering technology' to this demonstration, providing a stable communication environment by having the terminal automatically select terrestrial or satellite signals depending on the situation.

In particular, by linking CG-based animation and test equipment, the changes in wireless links between ground-UAM and satellite-UAM were visually expressed, while conditions similar to an actual wireless environment were also implemented through the Keysight channel emulator, increasing the sense of immersion.

Visitors were able to experience the hyperspace 6G service as if they were riding UAM using a head-mounted display (HMD).
br /> Based on this technology, ETRI is also actively pursuing various global research collaborations, such as leading 3GPP international standardization activities and participating in the Open RAN alliance.

As of now, the company has secured world-class technological achievements, including 14 SCI papers related to the technology, 48 domestic and international patent applications, and 43 adoptions of international standards.

Baek Yong-sun, director of the Stereoscopic Communication Research Institute, said, “6G will enable hyperspace communications that cross the boundaries between the ground and the sky, and this demonstration is an example that shows that our country is a leader in this field.”

Lee Moon-sik, head of the Satellite Communications Research Center, said, “Up until 5G, the ground and satellite were separated, but 6G aims for complete integration,” and emphasized, “Close cooperation among the public, private, military, industry, academia, and research institutes is important for commercializing the technology.”

This research was conducted as part of the '6G Core Source Technology Development' project of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP), and major domestic telecommunications and research institutes such as SK Telecom, KT, LG Uplus, and KAIST are jointly participating.

Additionally, this technology was made public at the 'ETRI Conference 2025' held last June and attracted a lot of attention.