Promise of Satellites for Ubiquitous 5G Coverage

A Terrestrial-Satellite hybrid 5G network has the power to extend 5G connectivity reliably beyond the boundaries of terrestrial infrastructure to anywhere in the world – including the middle of the ocean, which could transform the IoT-enabled global supply chain. For decades Satellite industry pre-dominantly operated in non-standardised way. Big Launch and operational costs also created a big barrier to entry. But the miniaturization of components have enabled building small satellites as well as the use of Ku/Ka RF technologies facilitated creation of LEO broadband constellations. NTN inclusion in 3GPP specification will encourage standardization and further open up new possibilities for the satellite industry.