ESA, MediaTek, Eutelsat, Airbus, Sharp, ITRI and R&S achieve the first Rel 19 5G Advanced NR NTN link via OneWeb satellites.
Partners from Europe and Asia have completed the world’s first Rel 19 5G Advanced NR NTN connection over the Eutelsat OneWeb low Earth orbit constellation, marking a major milestone for next generation satellite communication. The trial, conducted at the European Space Agency’s ESTEC facility in the Netherlands, demonstrated a full NR NTN link using a fifty megahertz Ku band channel and achieved successful conditional handover.
The collaboration brought together ESA, MediaTek, Eutelsat, Airbus Defence and Space, Sharp, ITRI and Rohde and Schwarz. Using OneWeb satellites built by Airbus with transparent transponders and Earth moving beams, the test linked a Sharp flat panel user terminal to the on ground 5G core through the ESTEC gateway antenna. The MediaTek NR NTN chipset communicated with ITRI’s NR NTN gNB, implementing key features of 3GPP Release 19.
ESA supported the project through its Space for 5G and 6G and Sustainable Connectivity program. The successful test strengthens the path toward large scale deployment of 5G Advanced NR NTN technology, which will allow future satellite and terrestrial networks to interoperate seamlessly. This interoperability is expected to lower costs, expand global coverage and open new markets for smart phones, automotive applications and the Internet of Things.
Industry leaders welcomed the achievement as a significant advance for global connectivity. Representatives from ESA, MediaTek, Eutelsat, Airbus, Sharp, ITRI and Rohde and Schwarz highlighted the importance of collaboration in developing reliable non terrestrial systems and accelerating the commercial rollout of advanced satellite broadband services.
