Samsung Electronics announced on Feb. 23 that it has secured a standardized 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) modem technology for direct communication between smartphones and satellites.

The company plans to integrate this technology into the company’s Exynos modem solutions, accelerating the commercialization of 5G satellite communications and paving the way for the 6G-driven Internet of Everything (IoE) era.

Samsung’s NTN modem technology meets the latest 5G NTN standards defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP Release 17). The company has completed the verification of the technology by applying it to the Exynos Modem 5300.

NTN technology is a satellite communication technology vital to advancing the era of future mobility. As standard technology is secured, communication operators, terminals, and semiconductor companies can easily access and utilize it. Thus, the technology is expected to spread rapidly. This technology provides a communication environment without no-service areas in deserts, seas, and mountainous areas or in disaster situations, and can be widely used for urban air traffic (UAM) machines such as unmanned aerial vehicles and flying cars that cannot be reached by ground networks. .

Samsung Electronics has secured Doppler shift compensation technology that accurately predicts the position of a low-orbit satellite over the earth based on 5G communications and minimizes frequency errors. This technology transmits and receives signals with frequency errors compensated for by using location and speed information from satellites and information measured with GPS signals from mobile devices. According to Samsung Electronics, if this is applied, users will be able to send and receive large amounts of data such as photos and videos in addition to simple text messages.

In addition, Samsung Electronics plans to develop a satellite communication standard technology based on the narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) and apply it to next-generation Exynos Modems. In this case, since satellite transmission and reception output is possible without a high-power antenna chip for wireless communications to elevate reception sensitivity, it is possible to decrease design restrictions on mobile products.

Samsung Electronics aims to expand its 5G business in the short term and occupy a leading position in the 6G era through 6G technology research in the mid to long term. In the future, the Korean tech giant will steadily develop Exynos Modems with 5G and NB-IoT technology to accelerate the commercialization of satellite-based 5G mobile communications while preemptively securing essential technologies for the internet of everything (IoE) era based on 6G services.

Source: BusinessKorea