SatEnlight and AREAWI win Basilicata Open LAB with a hybrid connectivity project

On 25 June 2026, in Matera, SatEnlight and AREAWI were announced among the winners of the third edition of the Basilicata Open LAB Co-Innovation Award.

The project brings together SatEnlight’s expertise in free-space optical communications and AREAWI’s telecommunications experience to address a concrete challenge for the region: bringing higher-capacity connectivity to areas that are difficult to reach with conventional infrastructure.

The proposed hybrid solution aims to contribute to three main objectives: reducing the digital divide in remote areas, increasing the bandwidth available alongside existing communication channels and improving network resilience.

The award marked the beginning of an operational development programme rather than the end of a competition.

During July 2026, SatEnlight and AREAWI focused on defining the interfaces between their respective systems.

From September 2026, the project was scheduled to move into laboratory and field testing.

This progression gives SatEnlight an opportunity to explore an important application of free-space optical communications beyond the satellite sector, testing how optical links could complement terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure.

The project was one of six collaborations selected through Basilicata Open LAB from a programme involving more than 140 startups and 50 local companies.