Japanese telecoms giant NTT is helping an Irish company build the internet in space.

Galway-based Mbryonics, a specialist in satellite optical transport, and NTT have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop and commercialise coherent optical transceivers for space applications.

The collaboration aims to establish a standard high-speed backbone for space communications, ensuring seamless interoperability across the internet in space for global carriers and orbital layers.

As a cornerstone of this alliance, coherent digital signal processing (DSP) chips will be integrated into Mbryonics’ optical communications transceiver (OCT) platform, making it the first company to incorporate and adopt NTT’s DSP chip into its transceivers and OCT systems. By combining NTT’s telecommunications expertise with Mbryonics’ photonic satellite offerings, the partnership aims to address the growing demand for high-capacity, low-latency connectivity in the orbital economy.

The partnership wants to establish high-speed links to ensure interoperability across diverse satellite constellations, collaborate on the international rollout of optical transceivers for carriers and orbital transport layers for all satellite networks, and create a seamless transition where ground fibre and satellite links act as one invisible, unified network.

The two companies will collaborate on the global deployment of optical infrastructure, scaling the systems necessary for a connected orbital economy.

“Technology is only as powerful as the network it supports,” said John Mackey, CEO of Mbryonics (mbryonics.com). “Partnering with NTT allows us to scale our vision for the internet in space. By integrating NTT’s advanced DSP capabilities into our coherent photonics platform, we are closing the gap between terrestrial fibre and satellite networks, providing the global infrastructure needed for the next generation of satellite networks, powering direct-to-device, cloud and AI services.”

Minako Tsumenaga, SVP of NTT (www.global.ntt), added: “This is a pivotal milestone for our technology as we expand into space. Through this collaboration, our advanced DSPs will empower satellite networks, enabling high-capacity optical links not only between satellites but also between satellites and ground stations. Mbryonics’ coherent platform will break down the barriers for our terrestrial capabilities to apply to non-terrestrial networks, aligning perfectly with our NTT C89 concept for establishing optical-based space network infrastructure.”