Wireless Industry Satellite Offerings Just Getting Started: Experts
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project’s initial approval of non-terrestrial network (NTN) technology as part of terrestrial networks was critical to the growth of satellite connections, experts said Tuesday during an RCR Wireless virtual forum. They agreed that the opportunities offered by NTN are just starting, with significant growth expected.
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Ubiquitous coverage “is one of the key pillars of 6G,” said Ian Fogg, research director for network innovation at CCS Insight. The market “woke up” to the possibilities of direct-to-device service when Apple introduced NTN connections for emergencies in 2022 in partnership with Globalstar (see 2211100005), Fogg said. “We’ve seen this growing number of consumer or small business devices with both cellular” and “NTN being built in.”
Most satellite-capable devices are smartphones that have been modified to support additional satellite bands, Fogg said. NTN was part of 3GPP Release 17 and then Release 18, which was finalized last year, he noted. Devices based on Release 18 are starting to hit the market. “This will help push on the adoption in the market, push on momentum,” he said. “There’s a lot of activity happening across the board.”
The early devices allowed for emergency messaging and then two-way messaging, Fogg said, predicting that voice will be next. “That’s obviously a very attractive offering both for consumers and for business users." During the first quarter of the year, 78% of NTN-capable smartphones sold in the U.S. were from Apple, but other handset makers, including Google and Samsung, are starting to catch up, he said.
“There are massive opportunities for NTN connectivity,” Fogg said. “There’s obviously a fixed-wireless play, where Starlink started.” There are also “a vast number of IoT opportunities,” including agriculture and logistics, container tracking and connected vehicles, he said. Many IoT uses don’t require constant connections, opening up opportunities for smaller constellations, he said, noting that other companies are focused on network backhaul and remote cellular towers.
With 6G, “the intent is to define from Day 1 a harmonized and single interface optimized for both the terrestrial network” and NTN connections, said Nicolas Chuberre, chair of the satellite communication and navigation working group at the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. The integration of NTN into carrier networks can be further improved in 6G, not only for coverage extension, which is the goal under 5G, “but also to achieve other goals, like the overall resilience of the network,” he said.
“We know how critical mobile communications are for anybody,” Chuberre said, so the industry needs to do everything it can to improve resiliency. Industry also needs to “go much further” to make networks more energy efficient, and NTN connections can play a role.
Industry needs a single standard for NTN, said Abhijeet Masal, principal research engineer at India’s Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology. History shows that without a common standard, there will be “market segmentation, high cost of deployment, and ultimately, a poor experience for the customer.” Standardization minimizes risks for the wireless industry, he added.
5G-advanced standards now allow for NTN, while work is continuing on 6G standards, said Peng Tan, principal engineer for network standards and innovation at Skylo Technologies.