The milestone clears the way for flight hardware production, bringing UNIVITY closer to delivering both broadband and direct-to-device 5G services from a single satellite architecture.

SWISSto12, a leading enabler of the new space economy, today announced it has passed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the S- and Ka-band phased array antennas for UNIVITY’s 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) demonstration satellites.

SWISSto12 is developing two active antennas for UNIVITY: an S-band direct radiating array (DRA) for direct-to-device services, connecting standard 5G phones straight to the satellite, and a Ka-band DRA operating at 26 GHz for broadband services and feeder links. Both are built for 5G NTN applications, allowing one single satellite to carry both broadband and direct-to-device 5G connectivity. These developments are part of UNIVITY’s uniShape program, institutionally supported by France 2030 and the French Space Agency (CNES). This dual capability supports UNIVITY’s ambition to build a shared, neutral space-based infrastructure that enables telecom operators to deliver broadband and direct-to-device connectivity under their own brands, seamlessly complementing their existing terrestrial networks.

As part of its HummingLink product line, SWISSto12 delivers complete high-performance antenna systems. The company uses 3D printing to produce passive radiating front ends and its DRAs include ultra-efficient radiating elements with integrated miniaturized, low-loss filters. SWISSto12 also designs and builds the beamforming PCBs using state-of-the-art circuits and provides the antenna’s digital controls. The work is completed at the company’s facility in Switzerland, using proprietary technology and designs, with a vertically integrated delivery model from specification to finished product.

Emile de Rijk, CEO and founder of SWISSto12, said, “UNIVITY set us an ambitious schedule; reaching Critical Design Review in less than one year was possible due to SWISSto12’s proprietary and differentiated payload and antenna technology and a vertically integrated delivery model. It’s a significant milestone for the program and the start of the next phase as we move into hardware production and an extensive verification and acceptance campaign.”

Charles Delfieux, Chief Executive Officer of UNIVITY, said, “Active antennas are central to our 5G payload architecture: they will enable a single satellite to deliver both broadband and direct-to-device connectivity. This dual capability is essential to our ambition of providing telecom operators with a shared space-based infrastructure that complements their terrestrial networks. By reaching this milestone in less than a year, SWISSto12 has demonstrated its ability to support our ambitious roadmap for the uniShape program.”