5G satellite tech advances global mobile connectivity

Satellite phones and devices are currently the main modes of communication with the rest of the world for remote regions like Antarctica. But that is about to change. Through a unique collaborative research and development effort between industry and academia, regular mobile phones may soon be able to achieve connectivity in such areas.

Five organisations — the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Rohde & Schwarz, SKY Perfect JSAT (JSAT), TMY Technology, Inc. and VIAVI Solutions — have jointly developed a new 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) satellite technology to advance mobile connectivity in remote locations. The research team conducted a live demonstration at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the deployment of an end-to-end cross-country 5G new radio (NR) NTN.

The live demonstration showed that a 5G signal can be transmitted from an end user equipment (UE), such as a communication device, located in SUTD, Singapore, via a satellite antenna, to a geostationary (GEO) satellite operated by JSAT. This signal was then forwarded from the satellite to a ground station in JSAT, Japan, which connects to a 5G base station and 5G core network emulator, demonstrating the feasibility of communications between NTN and terrestrial networks (TN).

The demonstration also showed that an existing GEO satellite can support the 5G NR standards as defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which is a consortium that develops global standards for mobile telecommunications. Although current 5G deployments primarily rely on TN, upcoming 6G networks are expected to be a convergence of both TN and NTN to achieve global coverage and resilient connectivity. The demonstration will lay the foundation for future extensions to medium Earth orbit (MEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, as well as 6G converged TN and NTN.

This joint collaboration also integrated an electronically steered antenna (ESA) for 5G NTN GEO communications. This enables NTN technology to be more suitable for challenging use cases, such as in the maritime and autonomous vehicle industries; or connecting 5G UE to high-speed moving satellites such as LEO or MEO.

Satellite operators, mobile network operators, equipment vendors and end-user application providers need to be able to evaluate the performance of NTN networks and the traffic that runs across them. Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI have developed an NTN digital twin testbed covering LEO, MEO and GEO, and this was used in the testing and validation of the end-to-end connectivity and performance in the live demonstration.

Samuel Lur, General Manager of Rohde & Schwarz, said, “As we unveil the latest in 5G NTN technology at the Osaka Expo, Rohde & Schwarz is proud to highlight our contributions in test and measurement that ensure the integrity and performance of these innovations. This achievement is a result of the collective efforts of our esteemed partners at SUTD and other collaborators. Thank you for your dedication and teamwork in pushing the boundaries of technology.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Igor Kutyaev