5G • Services
NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks)
5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (Satellite & HAPS)
The 3GPP 5G standard enabling direct smartphone and IoT connectivity to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) / Geostationary satellites.
Technical Explanation
3GPP Release 17 and 18 standardize 5G NR and NB-IoT operation over Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN). NTN integrates Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary (GEO) satellites, and High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) directly into the 5G ecosystem. It addresses extreme propagation delays (up to hundreds of milliseconds), massive Doppler shifts caused by high-velocity satellites (7.5 km/s), and large moving cell footprints via advanced timing advance pre-compensation, frequency shift offsets, and satellite ephemeris data sharing.
Key Functions
- Direct-to-Cell satellite connectivity for standard smartphones and IoT terminals
- Global coverage over oceans, remote regions, aircraft, and disaster zones
- Timing Advance and Doppler compensation algorithms for satellite orbits
- Support for transparent payload (bent-pipe) and regenerative onboard gNB architectures
Specifications
3GPP TS 38.300, TS 38.811, TS 38.821, Release 17/18
Interfaces
Uu (Satellite Radio Link)Satellite Gateway Backhaul
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