3GPP NTN Standards Selected as Satellite Technology of the Year

The added value of satellite in the 5G technology mix is becoming increasingly evident, especially in areas that lack coverage and for mission-critical communications and other applications that require reliable coverage and resiliency.

In recent years, the satellite industry has proactively collaborated with the mobile industry and other stakeholders in various forums, such as 3GPP, to ensure the integration of satellite technologies into the 5G ecosystem. These efforts have yielded a significant breakthrough: the successful expansion and adaptation of the 3GPP standards to incorporate non-terrestrial networks (NTN) starting with Release 17.

Key improvements have been made to account for satellite latency and doppler effects, specifically designed to support a wide range of network deployment scenarios, orbits, terminal types (handheld, IoT, vehicle-mounted), frequency bands, and beam types (Earth fixed/Earth moving) and sizes. This is an exciting development as it enables satellite direct-to-device connectivity to smartphones and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The added value of satellite in the 5G technology mix is becoming increasingly evident, especially in areas that lack coverage and for mission-critical communications and other applications that require reliable coverage and resiliency. The standards facilitate full interoperability between satellite and terrestrial networks, including mobility procedures, allowing for seamless connectivity between mass-market smartphones, IoT devices, and both terrestrial and NTN-based satellite networks when terrestrial connectivity is not available.

By leveraging the economies of scale of the mobile industry as part of the 3GPP ecosystem, the new NTN standards ensure that connectivity is accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world. The Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) has been a key partner of 3GPP, providing valuable insights on business requirements and market needs for the standard. This recognition also acknowledges the contributions of various satellite organizations and individuals such as EchoStar, Thales, Inmarsat, Intelsat, the European Space Agency (ESA), Munira Jaffar (EchoStar), Nicolas Chuberre (Thales), Stefano Cioni (ESA), Dorin Panaitopol (Thales), and Gilles Charbit (MediaTek).

Looking ahead, enhancements for Release 18 of the 3GPP NTN standard are expected to be completed in the coming months, further optimizing satellite access performance and introducing new capabilities and services. The continuous evolution of the NTN 3GPP standard will continue to expand the options for satellite to play a central role in global communications in the 5G era and beyond.