Satellite & NTN

Satellite and non-terrestrial networks (NTN) extend connectivity beyond the reach of ground-based infrastructure, using low-earth-orbit constellations, geostationary satellites, and high-altitude platforms. A major shift is the integration of satellite directly into cellular standards, enabling direct-to-device services that let ordinary phones connect via satellite where there is no terrestrial coverage. NTN is increasingly viewed not as a competitor to mobile networks but as a complement — filling coverage gaps, adding resilience, and supporting IoT and emergency communications. For operators and enterprises, satellite partnerships and spectrum are becoming strategic. This channel covers satellite and NTN developments — constellations, direct-to-device, standards integration, and operator partnerships — with analysis of how non-terrestrial connectivity is moving from niche to a mainstream layer of the connectivity landscape, and where the business case genuinely holds.

Sateliot Launches First Satellite in LEO Constellation to Boost 5G IoT Coverage

Sateliot has launched the first satellite of a new LEO constellation to enhance 5G IoT coverage by merging satellite and terrestrial connectivity. The company aims for global coverage and massive IoT adoption with its innovative constellation.

EUCAST Global Proves Private Networks Solve Connectivity Issues

CBRS Private Network Dramatically Improved Wireless Communications Along Remote Areas of I-70

Lynk Partners with Telecel Group to Provide Satellite Coverage for Vodafone Ghana

Lynk Global has signed its second commercial contract with Telecel Group in Africa to provide 100% coverage for Vodafone Ghana's 31 million subscribers using Lynk's innovative "space-based cell towers" technology. The partnership will extend rural coverage, ensure service resiliency, and support IoT devices, among other benefits.

OneWeb to Deliver Remote Community Broadband in Trials for UK Government Connectivity Programme

OneWeb to Deliver Remote Community Broadband in Trials for UK Government Connectivity Programme
OneWeb’s high-speed, low latency LEO network will deliver connectivity for trials through its partners BT and Clarus.

Thuraya and Astrocast Boost Partnership with Strategic LEO IoT Investment

Thuraya Telecommunications Company, the mobile satellite services subsidiary of the UAE's flagship satellite solutions provider, Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC (Yahsat), has announced the conclusion of Heads of Terms for an investment agreement with Astrocast, a leading Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Internet of Things (IoT) network operator.

NTT and SES Unveil Satellite-Powered Edge and Private 5G Solutions for Enterprises

NTT and SES have announced a multi-year partnership to utilize SES satellites for delivering NTT’s Edge as a Service to enterprise customers. This collaboration merges NTT’s networking and enterprise-managed services expertise with SES’s satellite capabilities to offer reliable connectivity for enterprises experiencing surges in connectivity demand or operating in areas beyond fixed terrestrial networks.

Spanish Ministry of Defence to fund private 5G networks for military

5G Open RAN in US Defense: From Prototype to Full Deployment
According to local media reports, the Spanish Ministry of Defence has launched several tenders with a total value of €50 million to install private 5G networks for the military. The move aims to enhance military capabilities and reduce the reliance on satellite communications.

ISRO/NSIL Launches 36 OneWeb Satellites: Milestone for Global Connectivity

ISRO/NSIL Launches 36 OneWeb Satellites Milestone for Global Connectivity
OneWeb's 18th successful launch expands its satellite constellation to 618, marking a crucial step in providing global coverage. The LVM3 launch vehicle contributes to India's prominent role in the commercial launch service market.

India’s 6G Initiative: PM Modi Unveils Bharat 6G Mission and 6G Test Bed

Bharat 6G Vision launched | India's 6G Initiative: PM Modi Unveils Bharat 6G Mission and 6G Test Bed
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced the Bharat 6G Vision Document, which aims to accelerate the adoption of new technology in India, and launched the 6G research and development test bed. The document was developed by a technology innovation group on 6G, consisting of members from various government ministries, research institutions, academia, standardization bodies, telecom service providers, and industry. The group will help to create a roadmap and action plans for 6G in India.

The 6G test bed, launched alongside the document, will offer a platform for industry, academic institutions, and others to test and validate evolving technologies. The government believes that these initiatives will provide an environment conducive to innovation, capacity building, and faster technology adoption in the country.

43. A Glimpse Into The Future of 6G with Doug Kirkpatrick of Eridan

5G Guys Podcast
Will we be rebranding soon to the 6G Guys? Our guest today may have the answer! We had the pleasure of hosting Doug Kirkpatrick, CEO and co-founder of Eridan, who shared fascinating insights about their game-changing technology, Miracle RFFE (Radio...

OneWeb and AWS collaborate to provide cloud-based connectivity

OneWeb and AWS collaborate to provide cloud-based connectivity
OneWeb has announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL (AWS) to explore providing cloud-based connectivity and innovative services to customers worldwide. The collaboration between OneWeb and AWS aims to expand both horizontal and vertical services to provide customizable and integrated solutions for edge-to-edge operations.

Orange and OneWeb collaborate to improve and broaden worldwide connectivity

Orange and OneWeb collaborate to improve and broaden worldwide connectivity
OneWeb and Orange have announced a distribution agreement to expand connectivity services in various regions of the world, including Europe, Africa, and Latin America. The partnership is aimed at offering enhanced connectivity to enterprise customers and telco operators in remote areas that were previously unreachable with improved latency.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN)?
NTN refers to connectivity delivered via satellites, high-altitude platforms, or other non-ground-based infrastructure, working alongside, not instead of, traditional cell towers to extend coverage to places terrestrial networks don’t reach. The concept has been formally incorporated into 3GPP’s mobile network standards specifically to ensure satellite-based connectivity can integrate technically with standard cellular networks, rather than existing as a completely separate, incompatible system. This standardization matters because it means NTN connectivity can, in principle, work seamlessly alongside regular cellular service, allowing a device to fall back to satellite coverage automatically when terrestrial signal isn’t available, rather than requiring users to manually switch between two entirely separate systems.
What are the different types of NTN?
  • Satellite networks: These networks use satellites in orbit around the Earth to transmit and receive signals and include geostationary and Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks
  • Balloon networks: These networks use balloons that are floated high in the stratosphere to transmit and receive signals. They can be used for applications such as providing internet access in remote or hard-to-reach areas, as well as for remote sensing and scientific research.
  • High-altitude platform stations (HAPS): These networks use aircraft or airships that fly at high altitudes, such as the stratosphere, to transmit and receive signals. They can be used for similar applications to balloon networks, and they also have the added advantage of mobility.
  • Drone networks: These networks use drones, which are also referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to transmit and receive signals. They can be used for a wide range of applications, such as providing internet access in remote or hard-to-reach areas, remote sensing, scientific research, and commercial uses like delivery and inspection.
  • Stratospheric platform stations (SAPS): This network uses a platform stationed in the lower part of the stratosphere, such as a blimp, that can relay communications between ground and satellites or between ground and another SAPS.
  • Laser Communications: This network uses a laser to transmit data between two points. This technology is still in development, but it has great potential to provide high-bandwidth, low-latency communications.
Is satellite internet going to make cell towers obsolete?
No. The industry consensus treats satellite and direct-to-device connectivity as a complementary layer that extends coverage to remote and underserved areas, not a replacement for dense terrestrial 5G networks in cities and suburbs where ground infrastructure remains far more efficient at handling large volumes of simultaneous users. Terrestrial cell towers can support vastly more simultaneous connections and far higher data throughput per user within a given area than current satellite technology can practically deliver, making satellite connectivity better suited for filling coverage gaps, like remote rural areas, maritime and aviation routes, or emergency situations where terrestrial infrastructure has failed.
What is direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity?
Direct-to-device, often abbreviated D2D, lets ordinary smartphones connect directly to satellites for basic connectivity, such as text messaging and, increasingly, voice or limited data service, without needing a separate, dedicated satellite terminal or specialized hardware beyond what’s already built into many recent smartphone models. This represents a significant technical advance over older satellite phone technology, which required bulky, dedicated devices. Large satellite operators, including SpaceX’s Starlink, are positioning D2D as a broader connectivity layer that could eventually extend beyond emergency and remote-area use cases into more general-purpose coverage, though this more expansive vision remains considerably further from current commercial reality than basic emergency messaging service.
Why is satellite connectivity becoming a bigger topic in telecom circles in 2026?
Large satellite operators entering the connectivity market with very large addressable market projections are raising substantial industry questions about spectrum ownership, infrastructure economics, and how traditional telecom operators and satellite providers will share or compete for the same customers going forward. SpaceX’s Starlink, for instance, has framed its total addressable market across AI, connectivity, and space-enabled infrastructure as enormous, positioning direct-to-device satellite connectivity as a potential global connectivity layer. This scale of ambition has prompted genuine strategic concern within the traditional telecom industry about longer-term competitive dynamics and what role established carriers will play as satellite capabilities continue advancing rapidly.
How does NTN fit into 6G plans?
Standards bodies are explicitly designing 6G to include seamless integration between terrestrial and satellite networks as a core capability, aiming to close coverage gaps as a fundamental design goal rather than treating satellite as a bolt-on afterthought added after the main standard is already finalized. This reflects lessons learned from how NTN support was added to 5G somewhat later in that standard’s development process, with 6G planning intended to incorporate satellite integration considerations from earlier on. The explicit goal is a future network where a device can move seamlessly between terrestrial and satellite coverage without users needing to think about which type of connectivity they’re actually using.
What’s the difference between low-earth-orbit, medium-earth-orbit, and geostationary satellites for connectivity purposes?
Low-earth-orbit, or LEO, satellites orbit much closer to Earth than older satellite generations, typically a few hundred miles up, which significantly reduces signal delay, or latency, making LEO constellations considerably more suitable for real-time applications like voice calls than earlier satellite generations were. Medium-earth-orbit satellites sit considerably farther out and are less commonly used for the consumer broadband and direct-to-device connectivity currently generating the most attention. Geostationary satellites orbit much farther from Earth, remaining fixed relative to a specific ground point, useful for certain broadcast applications but introducing meaningfully higher latency, generally making them less suitable for interactive connectivity compared to LEO constellations.
Do existing smartphones actually support satellite connectivity today, or is special hardware required?
A growing number of recent smartphone models do support some form of satellite connectivity natively, generally for specific, limited use cases like emergency messaging when no cellular signal is available, rather than full general-purpose satellite data service. This built-in support typically depends on having a relatively recent device with a modem chipset specifically designed to support satellite frequencies, meaning older devices generally cannot access these features even through a software update. As direct-to-device satellite services continue expanding beyond basic emergency messaging toward more general data and voice capability, broader satellite support is expected to become a more standard smartphone feature over time, similar to how 5G modem support gradually became standard.
What regulatory and spectrum challenges does satellite connectivity raise for traditional telecom operators?
Spectrum that terrestrial carriers have historically used exclusively may need to be shared or coordinated with satellite operators offering direct-to-device service using similar or overlapping frequencies, raising technical interference concerns and complex regulatory coordination questions that vary by country. There are also competitive and regulatory fairness questions, since satellite operators offering connectivity services may not be subject to the same licensing requirements or local infrastructure investment expectations that traditional terrestrial carriers face in a given country, potentially creating an uneven competitive playing field regulators are still actively working through. These unresolved questions are part of why traditional operators have approached large-scale satellite providers with a mix of cautious partnership interest and genuine competitive concern.

Your Brand. Our Intelligence Tools.

Capture leads at the point of evaluation. Talk to Us →

Sponsored by Palo Alto Networks
⚡ Utilities ⏱ 8 min ✓ Free
This tool is built and hosted by TeckNexus.
Launch Tool →
How Secure AI-Enabled Private Mobile Networks Transform Utility Operations
How Secure AI-Enabled Private Mobile Networks Transform Utility Operations
Whitepaper
This whitepaper explains how utilities can use secure AI-enabled private mobile networks to modernize operations, support distributed intelligence, improve resilience, and strengthen cybersecurity across critical infrastructure. It covers AI applications, private network advantages, zero trust principles, multilayered security architecture, and governance considerations for AI-ready utility environments....
The Evolution of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN)
Whitepaper
Non-terrestrial networks are rapidly evolving from experimental satellite systems into an increasingly important part of the global 5G connectivity landscape. This eBook, developed by Radisys in collaboration with TeckNexus, explores how 3GPP standardization, satellite architecture innovation, and software-driven network design are reshaping NTN deployment models. It examines the transition from...
Private 5G Network Security: 4 Pillars for Securing Private 5G, LTE & CBRS
Private 5G Network Security: 4 Pillars for Securing Private 5G, LTE & CBRS
Whitepaper
Private cellular networks are transforming industrial operations, but securing private 5G, LTE, and CBRS infrastructure requires more than legacy IT/OT tools. This whitepaper by TeckNexus and sponsored by OneLayer outlines a 4-pillar framework to protect critical systems, offering clear guidance for evaluating security vendors, deploying zero trust, and integrating IT,...
Scroll to Top