The European Space Agency (ESA), chipmaker MediaTek, satellite operator Eutelsat, aerospace company Airbus Defence and Space, technology firm Sharp, Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute, and test equipment provider Rohde & Schwarz completed a trial that connected 5G-Advanced devices to Eutelsat’s OneWeb low Earth orbit satellites using 3GPP Release 19 non-terrestrial network technology.
“By partnering with Airbus Defence and Space, Eutelsat and partners, this innovative step in the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks proves why collaboration is an essential ingredient in boosting competitiveness and growth of Europe’s satellite communications sector,” said David Phillips, head of the Systems, Strategic Programme Lines and Technology Department of ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications directorate.
The group showed how 5G devices can link to satellites through a setup built on common global standards. The trial used OneWeb satellites built by Airbus, MediaTek’s NR-NTN chipset, ITRI’s NR-NTN gNB, and a user terminal fitted with Sharp’s flat panel antenna. The tests covered Ku-band operation, 50 MHz channel bandwidth, and conditional handover. The signal passed through the gateway antenna at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands and connected to an on-ground 5G core.
“By making real-world connections with Eutelsat LEO satellites in orbit, together with our ecosystem partners, we are now another step closer to bring the next generation of 3GPP-based NR-NTN satellite wideband connectivity for commercial uses,” said Mingxi Fan, head of Wireless System and ASIC Engineering of MediaTek.
Airbus noted that the test confirmed handover performance, which is needed as satellites move in orbit.
“The successful showcase of Advanced New Radio NTN handover capability marks a major step toward enabling seamless, global broadband connectivity for 5G devices,” said Elodie Viau, head of Telecom and Navigation Systems of Airbus.
The project received support from ESA’s Space for 5G and 6G and Sustainable Connectivity program. The partners said using shared 3GPP standards will allow satellite constellations to work as natural extensions of mobile networks and open opportunities for applications such as connected vehicles, telemedicine, remote learning, and Internet-of-Things services.