MediaTek takes the lead to successfully complete 5G NTN satellite mobile phone laboratory connection test

This test was conducted in accordance with the functions and procedures defined in the 3GPP R17 5G specification. It used MediaTek’s mobile communication test chip with 5G NR NTN satellite network function, together with Rohde & Schwarz’s low-orbit satellite channel simulator and test base station to simulate a low-orbit (LEO) satellite at an altitude of 600 kilometers and a moving speed of up to 27,000 kilometers per hour in the laboratory.

Huang Heqi, general manager of MediaTek Wireless Communication System Development Division, said: "As a leader in 5G mobile communication technology, MediaTek has taken the lead in deploying cutting-edge technology research and development based on customer needs, oriented towards innovative applications, and continued to achieve technological breakthroughs. MediaTek has successfully verified the use of satellite networks this time. The forward-looking and effectiveness of 5G smartphones will give full play to the characteristics of 5G Internet of Everything and promote the development of 5G NTN satellite networks.”

In this experiment, MediaTek used the same components as smartphones to demonstrate the feasibility of using 5G NTN technology for satellite communications. 5G NTN technology improves the reliability of global services by leveraging the economies of scale of existing mobile communication networks, helping users get stable 5G connections in areas with no or weak service signals. This technology will not only allow the number of 5G users to continue to grow, but can also be applied to commercial and enterprise applications such as emergency communications, transportation, agriculture, fleet and heavy machinery management, and IoT devices.

Gerald Tietscher, Deputy General Manager of the Signal Generator Product Division at Rohde & Schwarz, said: “Ubiquitous connectivity is an important social goal for Rohde & Schwarz. We are committed to providing the right measurement solutions to enable new technologies and thus help the wireless communications industry to develop better.”

MediaTek actively promotes the 3GPP R17 standardization work, using physical layer and algorithm design to overcome signal attenuation caused by the high-speed movement of low-orbit satellites, helping to reduce the need for traditional complex antennas in 5G NTN smartphones. By maintaining the same basic physical signals and communication protocol design as 5G, it helps smartphones support both existing terrestrial 5G networks and future 5G NTN satellite networks.