05 March 2025

Eutelsat’s OneWeb network has just conducted the ‘world’s first successful trial’ of a 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN).

Eutelsat has long held an ambition to adopt mobile communications support into their satellite network, which would use the NTNs standard within the 5G specification (3GPP Release 17). The latest test using a live commercial network is said to pave the way for deployment of the 5G NTN standard, which will result in future satellite and terrestrial interoperability within a large ecosystem, lowering the cost of access and enabling the use of satellite broadband for 5G devices around the world.

The trial used OneWeb satellites, with the MediaTek NR (5G New Radio) NTN test chipset, and NR NTN test 5G g-NodeB (gNB) provided by ITRI, using the 3GPP Release 17 specifications. Sharp, Rhode & Schwarz provided the antenna array and test equipment and the LEO satellites carry transponders, with Ku-band service link, Ka-band feeder link, and adopting the ‘Earth-moving beams’ concept. During the trial, the 5G user terminal successfully connected to the 5G core via the satellite link and exchanged traffic.

“These trials show the commitment of Eutelsat Group in developing and adopting new technologies, in order to provide the best possible services to our customers, in collaboration with trusted partners. 5G NTN will be a key feature of the IRIS2 constellation, and Eutelsat is at the forefront of this innovation and active member of the ecosystem. We are proud to be the first satellite operator to demonstrate the 5G air interface working on a commercial fleet in Ku-band and paving the way for new applications in future constellations,” said Arlen Kassighian, Chief Engineering Officer at Eutelsat Group.