5G Mobile via LEO Broadband Satellites Moves a Step Closer

The idea of being able to offer consumers a 5G based mobile handset that gets its service from orbiting broadband satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), as well as a terrestrial mast, is nothing new. But turning it into a commercial product is another thing entirely, yet Ericsson, Qualcomm and Thales appear to be making progress.

At this point, most people have probably already heard of Satellite phones, but such devices have typically been designed to work with bespoke communication systems and specific satellites in a high (c.35,000km) Geostationary or Geosynchronous orbit (GEO / GSO). As a result, they tend to be fairly big, clunky and expensive devices – both in terms of hardware and service cost.

However, in recent years we’ve seen various new research and technologies that have helped to pave the way for a different approach (see above), which could make it possible to harness a new generation of ultrafast broadband satellites in a much Lower Earth Orbit (LEO – e.g. 500km) to offer a more affordable 5G mobile service – using common standards – over a wide area.

Most recently, the global 3GPP telecommunications standards’ body also approved Release 17 of the 5G specification, which adds support for Satellite-driven Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs). In theory, all of this could make it possible for handset makers (e.g. Samsung) to produce mobile phones that could communicate – via 5G – just as easily with LEO satellites as they can with a terrestrial mobile mast.

The big news this week is that Ericsson, Qualcomm and Thales have teamed up in France to develop, test and validate such smartphone-use-case-focused 5G NTN technologies. Initial tests will take place in an emulated space environment, before trying out the real thing.

Erik Ekudden, Senior CP and CTO of Ericsson, said:

“This testing and validation cooperation between Ericsson, Thales and Qualcomm Technologies will be a major milestone in the history of communications as the ultimate result could effectively mean that no matter where you are on Earth – in the middle of an ocean or the remotest forest – high-end, secure and cost-effective connectivity will be available through collaborative 5G satellite and terrestrial connectivity.”

Under the plans, Ericsson will work to verify a 5G virtual Radio Access Network (vRAN) stack, modified to handle radio signals propagating (what happens to 5G radio waves travelling through the vacuum of space and the Earth’s atmosphere) via fast-moving LEO satellites. Meanwhile, Thales will work to verify a 5G radio satellite payload suitable for deployment on LEOs, and Qualcomm plans to provide the 5G NTN test phones.

The benefits of this approach should be obvious, not least in terms of network coverage (e.g. in the UK and seamlessly across borders), which would significantly improve outdoor coverage and thus resolve one of the most frustrating aspects of mobile signal reception. Not to mention being able to act as a portable backup solution for fixed line outages and backhaul etc.

Such handsets would also be cheaper, smaller and thus more accessible than the standalone satellite phones of old. However, it’s early days for all this, and it remains to be seen how much such a service would cost in terms of the additional hardware and rental fees required (we think it’s bound to attract a premium).

Battery life is likely to be another consideration, which may limit what kind of data performance consumers can expect to get back, without draining their phone. We also have our doubts about the ability of 5G NTN to solve problems with weak indoor coverage, since satellite reception would only really work outdoors. But we can imagine a market for specially designed signal repeaters (boosters) that might be able to help.

Naturally, 5G NTNs would also have to be carefully regulated to avoid interference being caused between similar 5G friendly bands on terrestrial and satellite networks. Finally, in terms of which LEO platforms might be able to support such a network, we note that London-based OneWeb recently demonstrated a full 5G end-to-end link via their constellation (BT / EE is actively interested in this approach for tackling rural connectivity).