Filtronic Share News (FTC)

(Sharecast News) - Filtronic has secured a new contract to support the development of next-generation space-based communications technology, it announced on Thursday, as part of the European Space Agency and Viasat's Direct-to-Device (D2D) initiative.

The AIM-traded firm said the agreement would see it collaborate with Viasat on the design of advanced feeder link systems for an open architecture low Earth orbit network aimed at delivering 5G non-terrestrial services directly to handheld devices.

Under the ESA's ARTES 4.0 programme, Filtronic would provide high-power radio frequency solutions critical to both satellite payloads and ground stations.

The company said its expertise in high-performance solid state power amplifiers would play a key role in enabling the high-throughput, bidirectional feeder links essential to the network's operation.

"We are proud to contribute our expertise in high-power RF technology to this groundbreaking project," said chief executive officer Nat Edington.

"As demand for seamless, global connectivity grows, our advanced mmWave solutions will play a vital role in enabling high-capacity, non-terrestrial networks.

"We are excited to work alongside Viasat and ESA to shape the future of space-based communications."

At 1115 BST, shares in Filtronic were down 0.12% at 94.89p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.