MediaTek announced the completion of the world's first 5G NTN satellite phone laboratory connection test, claiming that it will enable smartphones to access the Internet directly via satellite signals, allowing future 5G smartphones to be used as satellite phones and achieve an uninterrupted network connection experience through satellite signals.
The test was based on the functions and procedures defined in the 3GPP Rel-17 specification. Using a MediaTek mobile communications chip equipped with 5G NR NTN satellite networking capabilities, along with a Rohde & Schwarz low-orbit satellite channel simulator and a test base station developed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the test simulated low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication modes at an altitude of 600 kilometers and moving speeds of up to 27000 kilometers per hour in a laboratory environment.
However, MediaTek did not disclose specific details about this mobile communication chip equipped with 5G NR NTN satellite network function, but it is expected to become a design equipped with new processors in the future.
The 5G NTN satellite network will provide more complete global coverage, reaching areas difficult to reach by conventional terrestrial networks. Furthermore, by allowing smartphones to access the Internet directly using satellite signals, it will be able to combine existing terrestrial and satellite network resources to form a seamless communications network.
At the same time, by enabling smartphones to achieve dual networks without the need for additional accessories, MediaTek expects to catalyze the development of more new business models in application scenarios such as communications, transportation, agriculture, fleet and heavy machinery management, and the Internet of Things.
