MediaTek, Eutelsat Group, and Airbus Defence and Space have conducted the world's first successful trial of 5G-Advanced NR Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology over OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The tests pave the way for the deployment of the 5G-Advanced NR NTN standard, which will lead to future satellite and terrestrial interoperability within a large ecosystem toward 6G, creating the economies of scale to access and enable the use of satellite broadband for 5G-Advanced devices around the world.
The trial utilized in-orbit OneWeb LEO satellites, with the MediaTek Ku-band NR-NTN test chipset, NR-NTN test gNB by ITRI and antenna array by Sharp implementing 3GPP Release 17 specifications. The lab pre-testing also used Rohde & Schwarz equipment.
“As a global leader in terrestrial and non-terrestrial connectivity, we continue in our mission to improve lives by enabling innovative technology that connects the world around us, even in areas with little to no cellular coverage,” said Mingxi Fan, Head of Wireless System and ASIC Engineering at MediaTek. “By making real-world connections with LEO satellites in orbit, we are now another step closer to bring the next generation of 3GPP-based NR-NTN satellite wideband connectivity for commercial uses.”
