Forget your neighbourhood, Nokia just won NASA's contract to build 4G network on moon!

© Laurent Emmanuel - AFP/File

Nokia USA (Nokia of America Corporation of Sunnyvale, California) has been awarded a $14.1 million deal by NASA to provide 4G cellular network on the moon. The contract is part of 14 deals under ‘Tipping Point’ announced by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine at the virtual fall Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium meeting on October 14.

The deals are valued at a combined $370 million.

“NASA has selected 14 American companies, including several small businesses, as partners to develop a range of technologies that will help forge a path to sustainable Artemis operations on the Moon by the end of the decade,” the official release stated.

Nokia’s Bell Labs announced the news on micro-blogging site Twitter stating: “We are excited to have been named by NASA as a key partner to advance “Tipping Point” technologies for the moon, to help pave the way towards a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.”

To the moon!

We are excited to have been named by @NASA as a key partner to advance “Tipping Point” technologies for the moon, to help pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

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So, what technology can you expect to see? (1/6) pic.twitter.com/wDNwloyHdP

— Bell Labs (@BellLabs) October 15, 2020

It outlined the following as technologies to be expected from the deal:

>> Pioneering innovations to build and deploy the first wireless network on the moon, starting with 4G/LTE technologies and evolving to 5G.

>> Network created with partner Intel Intuitive Machines will be the critical communications fabric for data transmission applications, including the control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation over lunar geography and streaming of high definition video.

>> Developed mission-critical LTE network is specially designed to withstand the extreme temperature, radiation and vacuum conditions of space, as well as the sizable vibrational impact during launch and landing on the lunar surface.

>> Fully integrated cellular network meets the stringent size, weight and power constraints of space payloads in the smallest possible form factor.

>> This mission will validate the future of other operational deployments and the potential for human habitation on the moon.