ESA, MediaTek, Eutelsat, Airbus, Sharp, ITRI, and R&S announce world's first Rel-19 5G-Advanced NR-NTN connection over OneWeb LEO satellites

ESA, MediaTek, Eutelsat, Airbus, Sharp, ITRI, and R&S announce world's first Rel-19 5G-Advanced NR-NTN connection over OneWeb LEO satellites Partners work together to enable the world's first Rel-19 5G-Advanced NR-NTN connection over Eutelsat's OneWeb constellation and the infrastructure at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in The Netherlands. Successful trial using 3GPP Rel-19 NR-NTN configurations of 50 MHz bandwidth over Ku-band with handover success.

Rohde & Schwarz supported the successful NR-NTN trial with its CMX500-based NTN test suite.

European Space Agency (ESA), MediaTek Inc., Eutelsat, Airbus Defence and Space, Sharp, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) have conducted the world's first successful trial of 5G-Advanced Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology over the Eutelsat's OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites compliant with 3GPP Rel-19 NR-NTN configurations. The tests pave the way for deployment of 5G-Advanced NR-NTN standard, which will lead to future satellite and terrestrial interoperability within a large ecosystem, lowering the cost of access and enabling the use of satellite broadband for NTN devices around the world.

The trial used OneWeb satellites, communicating with the MediaTek NR-NTN chipset, and ITRI's NR-NTN gNB, implementing 3GPP Release 19 specifications including Ku-band, 50 MHz channel bandwidth and conditional handover (CHO). The OneWeb satellites, built by Airbus, carry transparent transponders, with Ku-band service link, Ka-band feeder link, and adopt the Earth-moving beams concept. During the trial, the NTN user terminal - with a flat panel antenna developed by SHARP - successfully connected over satellite to the on-ground 5G core using the gateway antenna located at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in The Netherlands.

The test was possible thanks to the support of ESA's Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity program, of the Directorate of ESA's Connectivity and Secure Communications (CSC) and the support of ESA's Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (TEC).

With the full integration of 3GPP standards shared and accepted by the entire mobile industry, all compatible satellite constellations will naturally and seamlessly complement terrestrial networks, enabling truly ubiquitous connectivity with economies of scale, and opening up new markets for smart phones, automotive and Internet-of-Things.

David Phillips, Head of the Systems, Strategic Programme Lines and Technology Department within ESA's Connectivity and Secure Communications directorate, which hosts the Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity program, said: By partnering with Airbus Defence and Space, Eutelsat and partners, this innovative step in the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks proves why collaboration is an essential ingredient in boosting competitiveness and growth of Europe's satellite communications sector. ESA is delighted to have exchanged knowledge and expertise with industry, as we work towards our joint aim to provide seamless connectivity for the benefit of Europe and beyond.

Mingxi Fan, Head of Wireless System and ASIC Engineering at MediaTek, said: As a global leader in terrestrial and non-terrestrial connectivity, we continue in our mission to improve lives by enabling technology that connects the world around us, including areas with little to no cellular coverage. By making real-world connections with Eutelsat LEO satellites in orbit, together with our ecosystem partners, we are now another step closer to bring the next generation of 3GPP-based NR-NTN satellite wideband connectivity for commercial uses.

Daniele Finocchiaro, Head of Telecom R&D and Projects at Eutelsat, said: We are proud to be among the leading companies working on NTN specifications, and to be the first satellite operator to test NTN broadband over Ku-band LEO satellites. Collaboration with important partners is a key element when working on a new technology, and we especially appreciate the support of the European Space Agency. Together, we will shape the future world of broadband connectivity, always aiming to provide better services to our customers.

Elodie Viau, Head of Telecom and Navigation Systems at Airbus, said: This connectivity demonstration performed with Airbus-built LEO Eutelsat satellites confirms our product adaptability. The successful showcase of Advanced New Radio NTN handover capability marks a major step towards enabling seamless, global broadband connectivity for 5G devices. These results reflect the strong collaboration between all partners involved, whose combined expertise and commitment have been key to achieving this milestone. Airbus is proud to advance the satellites integration into everyday connectivity for our customers.

Masahiro Okitsu, President & CEO, Sharp Corporation, said: We are proud to announce that we have successfully demonstrated Conditional Handover over 5G-Advanced NR-NTN connection using OneWeb constellation and our newly developed user terminals. This achievement marks a significant step toward the practical implementation of non-terrestrial networks. Leveraging the expertise we have cultivated over many years in terrestrial communications, we are honored to bring innovation to the field of satellite communications as well. Moving forward, we will continue to contribute to the evolution of global communication infrastructure and strive to realize a society where everyone is seamlessly connected.

Dr. Pang-An Ting, Vice President and General Director of Information and Communications Research Laboratories at ITRI, said: In this trial, ITRI showcased its advanced NR-NTN gNB technology as an integral part of the NR-NTN communication system, ena

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