5G satellite tech advances connectivity in remote locations

Satellite phones and devices are currently the main modes of communication with the rest of the world for remote regions like Antarctica — but regular mobile phones may soon be able to achieve connectivity in such areas, thanks to a collaborative research and development effort between industry and academia.

The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), SKY Perfect JSAT (JSAT), TMY Technology, Inc. (TMYTEK), Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI Solutions have jointly developed new 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) satellite technology to advance mobile connectivity in remote locations. The research team recently conducted a live demonstration at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the deployment of an end-to-end cross-country 5G New Radio (NR) NTN. This is understood to be the first such transmission between the two countries.

Imagine a scenario where a ship is sailing in a remote location, when a crew member suddenly encounters an emergency health issue. With traditional satellite communication, the crew can only send a text message to the shore for assistance. However, with the new technology showcased at the live demonstration, real-time communication via video call becomes possible.

The demonstration showed that a 5G signal can be transmitted via a satellite antenna from end-user equipment (UE), such as a communication device located at SUTD in Singapore, to a geostationary (GEO) satellite operated by JSAT. This signal was then forwarded from the satellite to a ground station at JSAT in Japan, which connects to a 5G base station and 5G core network emulator, demonstrating the feasibility of communications between NTN and terrestrial networks (TN).

The live demonstration successfully showed that an existing GEO satellite can reliably support the 5G NR standards as defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which is a consortium that develops global standards for mobile telecommunications. Although current 5G deployments primarily rely on TN, upcoming 6G networks are expected to be a convergence of both TN and NTN to achieve global coverage and resilient connectivity. The demonstration thus lays the foundation for future extensions to medium-Earth orbit (MEO) and low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, as well as 6G-converged TN and NTN.

“We are proud to have participated in the world’s first demonstration using our geostationary satellite and 5G NTN Lab at the prestigious World Expo, under the leadership of SUTD,” said Eiichi Yonekura, Representative Director, President and CEO of SKY Perfect JSAT.

“Moving forward, we will continue to contribute to the advancement of telecommunications technology through collaboration and engagement with stakeholders in Singapore and beyond. Additionally, we will provide a highly reliable communication environment through the Universal NTN, an innovative multi-layered communication platform, aiming to establish technologies that enable seamless connectivity between mobile and satellite networks.”

The collaboration is also among the first in the world to integrate an electronically steered antenna (ESA) for 5G NTN GEO communications. This enables NTN technology to be more suitable for challenging use cases, such as in the maritime and autonomous vehicles industries; or connecting 5G UE to high-speed moving satellites such as LEO or MEO. The ESA technology was contributed to the collaboration by TMYTEK.

Satellite operators, mobile network operators, equipment vendors and end-user application providers need to be able to evaluate the performance of NTN networks and the traffic that runs across them. Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI developed an NTN digital twin testbed covering LEO, MEO and GEO, and this was used in the testing and validation of the end-to-end connectivity and performance in the live demonstration.

“This breakthrough in 5G NTN technology marks a pivotal moment — not only proving that seamless mobile communication over satellite is achievable, but also laying the groundwork for resilient, borderless 6G networks,” said Dr Sameh Yamany, Chief Technology Officer of VIAVI Solutions. “We are proud to contribute our test and validation expertise alongside global partners to turn this vision into reality.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Igor-Kardasov