On December 23, 2024, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian satellite communications company Telesat jointly announced the successful implementation of the world's first low-Earth orbit (LEO)-based 3GPP non-terrestrial network (NTN) connection. This technological milestone marks a new stage of standardization and commercialization of satellite communication technology, and provides an important reference direction for the construction of global communication networks in the future.
Technological breakthrough: low-orbit 5G NTN combined with 3GPP standards
The test strictly followed the 3GPP NTN Release 17 specification and used the 5G protocol stack developed by Amarisoft to complete stable two-way communication between the ground base station (gNB) and the 5G NR NTN User Equipment (UE). This is not only a verification of the practicability of the 3GPP NTN standard, but also shows the feasibility of 5G NTN technology in a low-orbit environment, providing important technical support for the industry.
The advantage of 3GPP standardization is that it can share R&D results and terminal ecosystem with existing terrestrial network technologies, reduce technology and equipment costs, and lay the foundation for the future communication evolution in the 6G era.
Details and results of the experiment
The tests were completed between the ESTEC 5G laboratory in the Netherlands and the Telesat LEO 3 satellite. The experimental scenario covers multiple elevation angles (10° to 80°) of the LEO 3 satellite over the laboratory to avoid interfering with geosynchronous orbit (GEO) communications.
1. Communication efficiency: The peak spectral efficiency of the uplink and downlink reaches 3 bit/s/Hz.
2. Application of HARQ technology: The 32-fold HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request) technology optimizes the transmission link, greatly improving the data throughput and achieving a 16-fold increase in transmission efficiency in some scenarios.
3. SIB19 broadcasting: Through the SIB19 information (including satellite ephemeris and other parameters) sent by the LEO 3 satellite, the UE realizes accurate frequency Doppler compensation and uplink transmission timing throughout the satellite visual period, ensuring the stability of communication.
The success of this experiment not only demonstrates the advanced nature of the technology, but also lays the foundation for the large-scale application of low-orbit 5G NTN.
Pictured: ESA and Telesat achieve the world's first low-speed orbit 5G NTN connection
Social and economic impact
The realization of low-earth 5G NTN technology will liberate satellite communications from the shackles of traditional high-cost and exclusive equipment, and move towards standardization and popularization. The possible impacts of such a technological breakthrough include:
1. Emergency Response: Improve disaster relief and emergency communications capabilities, especially when terrestrial networks are compromised or inadequately covered.
2. Rural health and education: Provide telemedicine, online education and other services to remote areas through wider network coverage.
3. Industrial Operations: Efficient communication solutions in remote industries such as mining and energy.
4. Cost-effectiveness: The maturity of the industrial chain brought about by standardization will reduce the cost of terminals and services, so that consumers can enjoy high-quality satellite communication services at lower prices.
In addition, the implementation of low-orbit 5G NTN also paves the way for direct-to-device communication, providing infinite possibilities for next-generation communication scenarios.
Industry trends and future prospects
The commercialization of low-orbit satellite communications is accelerating. By aligning with 3GPP standards, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) are becoming an essential part of global communications.
1. Technology convergence: The deep integration of satellite networks and terrestrial communication networks will bring more efficient and flexible communication capabilities, driving global network coverage to nearly 100%.
2. Universal charging piles and terminal adaptation: Through standardized technical specifications, more general-purpose satellite communication devices adapted to different terminals may be born in the future to further improve the user experience.
3. Industry chain development: Technology standardization is expected to attract more participants to join this ecosystem, including chip design, antenna manufacturing, network operators, etc., forming a diversified industrial layout.
4. Transition to 6G: The current implementation of 5G NTN also provides a technical path and experimental verification for the construction of global communication networks in the future 6G era.
In the next few years, with the deep integration of satellite communication and terrestrial networks, low-orbit 5G NTN technology will be expanded from emergency communication to daily applications, providing strong support for global interconnection.
Conclusion
ESA's collaboration with Telesat not only breaks new ground for LEO 5G NTN technology, but also advances the standardization and commercialization of global satellite communications. Through groundbreaking technical validation and support for the 3GPP NTN standard, this achievement demonstrates new possibilities for building future communications networks.
The successful low-orbit 5G NTN connection test not only represents technological progress in the field of satellite communications, but also sends a strong signal that open cooperation and technological innovation are the key drivers for the development of the industry. Against the backdrop of technological breakthroughs, we are moving towards a more connected era, where LEO satellite networks will become an integral part of global communications, with far-reaching social and economic impacts across industries.
