The satellite industry is undergoing a seismic shift with the rise of 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), a game-changing technology that integrates satellite communications seamlessly into the global telecommunications ecosystem. Telecommunication service providers are on the verge of ubiquitous coverage not previously possible by extending the reach of connectivity through the use of satellite technology. For markets such as aviation, maritime, and land mobile networks, 5G NTN stands to redefine connectivity on a global scale. But the key to unlocking its full potential lies in standardization and collaboration across the satellite and terrestrial ecosystem. This is extremely attractive to industries like aviation where enabling compatibility across networks expands global connectivity options, and standardized hardware means less complexity for terminal development and could eliminate multiple different communications devices being needed on a single aircraft.
Why Standardization is Essential
The introduction of 5G NTN, driven by the 3GPP standard body, opens up new opportunities for satellite networks. The anticipated adoption of Release 18, followed by Release 19 and beyond, is giving the satellite industry a unified fabric to communicate and enabling seamless roaming between satellite and terrestrial networks.
Collaboration as an Industry Imperative
Satellite and telecommunications industries are collaborating in the 3GPP standard body and defining technical standards that align with other working standards and industry organizations like MEF, and more specifically DIFI, the WAVE Consortium and Seamless Air Alliance (SAA) that drive the adoption and applicability within the satcom industry. Across these consortia ground segment providers, satellite operators and service providers, telco operators, and cloud infrastructure players must operate in tandem to unlock multi-vendor, multi-network compatibility and unified customer experiences, enabling satellite services to fully integrate with the broader telecom ecosystem.
The Aeronautical sector as an example, is a primary market poised to gain from 5G NTN standardization. Today, modem replacement processes on airplanes are complex and expensive, often requiring lengthy certification, time-intensive logistics and taking an aircraft out of service. A lack of standardized modem form factors amplifies the difficulty of integrating newer technologies as they become available. With compatibility across both 3GPP and non-3GPP networks roaming would be enabled, OSS/BSS billing systems would interoperate, and modem hardware and maintenance costs could be reduced by software-driven updates replacing physical hardware swaps.
For the 3GPP 5G NTN standard to be successful partnership between the standards bodies and the markets is essential. That’s where Seamless Air Alliance’s drive for collaboration on the 5G front is vital. SAA, of which ST Engineering iDirect is a partner alongside telecom operators, satellite providers, and airline stakeholders, plays an important role as a Market Representation partner for 3GPP further solidifying satcom’s influence on future connectivity standards. In partnership with ESA, it is driving innovation in 5G NTN capabilities for aviation including the successful presentation of the first aviation use case, ensuring gate-to-gate connectivity through multi-orbits due to 3GPP standards.
Find out more:
- Read the joint ESA-SAA press release: Seamless Air Alliance and European Space Agency Announce Major Progress in 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks for Aviation.
- Hear our 5G expert, Ivan De Baer speak on the recent Via Satellite webinar on the importance of standardization and the collaboration of the ecosystem.
- Book a meeting at MWC ’25 to talk to us about our 5G NTN advances and how it affects your markets.