Topic: 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks: Opportunities and Challenges in Connecting Earth and Space
Ionel Petrut is Chief Technology Officer at LASTING Software, Romania, with more than 20 years of experience in telecommunications. His career includes engineering and technical management roles at Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia, covering radio access technologies, system integration, testing, and LTE programme delivery. He holds a PhD from Politehnica University Timișoara, where his research focused on heterogeneous networks in LTE.
At LASTING Software, his work focuses on non-terrestrial networks and the integration of satellite and terrestrial communications. His activities include satellite channel emulation, software-defined radio, and the experimental validation of 5G NTN systems. Through his work with CELEOS and FLEX-SPACE, he addresses practical questions around testing satellite connectivity, reproducing propagation conditions, and evaluating network behaviour across different orbital scenarios. He has also contributed to technical demonstrations of end-to-end NTN systems using digital interfaces and realistic channel emulation.
