The 5G standard promises to totally transform overall network capabilities. However, to successfully deploy the full potential of 5G, mobile network operators (MNOs) need satellite to offload network congestion i.e. by using multicasting, rerouting non latency-sensitive services and backhauling 5G traffic from remote areas, among other use cases. That’s why the satellite industry, including iDirect, is transforming the fabric of our network to better align with 5G standards, making it easier for MNOs to adopt and sell satellite services in the 5G future.
Read more about “The Opportunity for Satellite in a 5G World” by downloading our whitepaper.
To that end, iDirect is working diligently on several advancements to promote satellite’s full interoperability in 5G networks. One milestone is coming up at Mobile World Congress Barcelona from February 25-28, 2019. We will be showing a live final proof of concept testing for video content distribution to the edge designed to operate over a satellite network with 4G/5G and MEC integration. After 18 months of technology development, we will be showing how our OSMOSIS technology can help offload valuable 5G mobile capacity through content distribution and multicasting at the edge and enhance the streaming experience for mobile users, while reducing network operation costs.
This is the first application enabled over the SATis5 5G test network empowered by iDirect, SES and Fraunhofer FOKUS. The companies, which are SATis5 consortium members, are showing how iDirect’s hub and remote ground infrastructure, Fraunhofer’s 5G technology and SES’s geostationary satellite are being leveraged to demonstrate a successful 5G integration into satellite utilizing a Software-Defined Network (SDN), Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC).
If you are at MWC Barcelona, come and see our progress by visiting our demo in SES Stand GG3, Hall 2.1. You can also schedule a meeting with an onsite iDirect representative to learn more about our 5G progress, the multiple use cases satellite can bring to 5G and our innovative cellular backhaul solution.
