November 16, 2022
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Kratos/Constellations) — It’s difficult to understate the impact of 5G on the global telecommunications ecosystem and how the world views satellite connectivity.
One of the biggest turning points came with the most recent release of the 5G standard, which marked the most thorough integration of commercial space and terrestrial mobile communications networks to date.
This process has been ongoing for years under the auspices of 3GPP, the global consortium of telecommunications standards development organizations responsible for developing the technical specifications to achieve the promise of 5G—anytime, anywhere coverage, to any device, across any network.
While satellite has had a seat at the 3GPP table for some time, it was often viewed as an afterthought. The 3G and 4G standards supported cellular backhaul, some specialty services and satellite-based IP but little more. In 2017, working groups began formal research into the roles and benefits of satellite connectivity in the 5G ecosystem. This, in turn, prompted recommendations that the fifth generation of mobile broadband technology support non-terrestrial use cases, including high-altitude platform systems, drones and LEO and GEO satellites.
It wasn’t until Release 17 earlier this year that satellite was positioned as a critical component of the global 5G ecosystem. That release gave the satellite industry its first technical specifications for integrated, direct-to-device 5G over satellite.
Read the full article: https://www.kratosdefense.com/constellations/articles/how-satellite-became-a-part-of-5g
