Achieve 5G NTN connectivity for your devices
With 3GPP introducing Non-Terrestrial Network in the 5G standardization, users will be able to experience true global coverage.
With a standardized 5G NTN terminal, powered by Gatehouse Satcom communication software, you get access to software based on open standards which can increase the market attractiveness. The software will be available for NB-IoT, New Radio and eMTC.
Who will benefit from 5G NTN connectivity?
The 5G NTN UE software is for terminal manufacturers that want to develop and manufacture a 5G NTN capable terminal based on an SDR hardware platform. Our software is also ideal for government purposes where it is desired to upgrade existing devices and terminals with 5G NTN connectivity without introducing new chipsets.
Enabling 5G NTN connectivity through a software update on your current SDR hardware is relevant if you want to prioritize:
- Complying to dedicated form factors
- Protecting compliance
- Combining several technologies on the same hardware
- Re-using your current terminals/devices
Develop or update devices with 5G NTN connectivity
The 5G NTN UE software is an alternative to standard chipsets. While standard chipsets will be available for the most common use cases, they will not be available or the ideal choice for all. Our software is ideal in case you want to either develop new devices with special features or you want to upgrade your current devices to include 5G NTN connectivity.
Beyond the standard
With Gatehouse Satcom as your trusted 5G NTN partner, you get mature, integrable and portable software that can enable features beyond the standard.
Combine technologies
We support advanced testing and enables you to combine several technologies on the same COTS SDR hardware.
Update existing devices
The 5G NTN UE software can be implemented on already existing and deployed devices. This enables you to comply to dedicated form factors or specific device requirements.
Features
GateHouse SatCom offers the UE software as independent stack implemented in plain C++ as well as platform optimized stacks and FPGA code.
The software supports the following features:
- 3GPP NTN compliant (Rel-17)
- Low memory and low cycle count footprints
- Available on COTS hardware platform
- Debugging interface
- Higher level interface for ephemeris
FAQ
What does the expected market for 5G NB-IoT look like – what are the use cases?
The 5G NB-IoT NTN market is expected to be around 1.9 billion devices addressable for direct-to-device satellite connectivity by 2035 (GSMA Intelligence)
The NTN services are expected in all verticals, including IoT devices sending small amounts of data and needing connectivity even in the remotest areas.
The need for 5G NB-IoT NTN can range from public services verticals (e.g. rescue), to logistics, agriculture, oil and gas or mining.
Concrete use cases could be for example (1) emergency cars entering remote areas while being able to communicate with the hospital, (2) connected vehicles in the logistics and transportation industry providing information about the arrival of a shipment, (3) IoT sensors used on farms to measure for instance fertilizer levels for optimization of supply chains, or (4) IoT sensors monitoring oil pipelines to avoid downtime and improve safety.
Is it really possible to provide service to ordinary 5G devices from space?
The link-budgets and experiments carried out so far show that cellular NTN is feasible with regular handheld devices. One factor to consider is that although the propagation distance is greatly increased, the satellite base-station can utilize directional antennas to achieve large gains.
Does 5G NB-IoT work on Ka/Ku band?
Rel-17 will work on the S-band, but preliminary work has already been started on the Ka-band. It is likely that higher bands will be supported in future releases. The higher frequencies are a source of wider spectrum/bandwidth for the NTN networks, but there are major challenges involved with higher frequencies – in particular dealing with the increased signal propagation. It could very well be unfeasible to launch ka/Ku band on cubesat payloads due to the limited power budget.
Gain a competitive advantage
Let us help you enable your 5G NTN roadmap. By using our proven satellite 5G solution you will:
- Gain easy access to satellite networks
- Shorten your time to market and reduce risk
- Save money and improve your business case
Normally, it takes years and cost a lot to develop a reliable and advanced protocol stack for a 24/7 working satellite service.
By using an already proven solution, you can focus on your business and serving your clients instead of dealing with technical difficulties.
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Let’s get in touch
Raphaela Teixeira
Sales Executive
I look forward to discuss your current roadmap for 5G NTN and show how we can help you strengthen it.
Please reach out to me or fill out this form to start a conversation.