The Somorrostro Training Centre has taken a step forward in the technological vanguard with the project “Internet de las cosas (IoT) a través de comunicaciones satelitales 5G”, financed by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sport’s Grants for innovation and applied research projects and knowledge transfer in Vocational Training. This project is carried out in collaboration with the FP Sant Cugat centre in Barcelona and the Institut Narcís Xifra i Masmitjà in Girona.

This ambitious project aims to deepen the development of 5G satellite communications, a pioneering technology still in the development phase, and explore the possibilities of private 5G networks supported by satellites, the standardisation of which is still in progress. The initiative’s main objective is to boost Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity in environments where terrestrial networks have limitations, opening up new opportunities for sectors such as logistics, security and audiovisual production.

In its first phase, the project has carried out tests with Starlink’s low orbit and broadband communications (the antenna has been temporarily placed on the roof of a vehicle) with a live transmission of video and audio in real time from two different situations:

• From fixed positions in the city, using professional Blackmagic -URSA cameras remotely controlled from the studios.

Photo: “Static” transmission tests.

• By means of a moving vehicle. In this case, a mobile terminal operating in 1080p60 resolution, with H265 encoding and SRT protocol was used to capture images.

Photo: Transmission tests on the move.

Signal reception was handled by a vMix system, demonstrating robust and stable performance.

Tests yielded strong results, with challenges expected in scenarios such as passing under bridges, tunnels or areas with lush trees, where the signal was momentarily interrupted. However, the system showed rapid recovery, highlighting the reliability of 5G satellite communications in dynamic environments.

This project positions the 3 training centres participating in the project as leaders in applied research and knowledge transfer in the field of Vocational Training, consolidating their commitment to the development of emerging technologies that will transform the future of connectivity and IoT.

We are grateful for the collaboration of the companies Inkgen Video productions, Rakomm and G93 in the tests carried out and in the evolution of the project.