KT and KT SAT announced on the 30th that they have successfully secured technology to integrate the ground-based 5G network with the Mugunghwa Satellite 6, located at an orbital altitude of 35,800 km, using the 5G NTN  standard. This marks the world’s first application of the 5G NTN standard to a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite.

The test was conducted at KT SAT’s Geumsan Satellite Center in collaboration with Rohde & Schwarz Korea and Viavi Solutions Korea. The 5G NTN technology, defined in the 3GPP Release 17 and completed in 2022, extends the range of 5G services by utilizing satellites instead of ground-based base stations. This innovation is crucial for providing uninterrupted 5G service in areas with coverage gaps such as maritime, aviation, and mountainous regions.

KT successfully implemented technology to correct the long propagation delay of approximately 35,800 km using 5G NTN technology. Lee Jong-sik, Executive Vice President of KT’s Network Research Institute, emphasized the importance of NTN technology for the future of telecommunications. “NTN technology, which began to be defined in the 5G Advanced standard, will become a core technology for 6G in the future,” he stated. “In the 6G era, communication coverage will expand beyond the limitations of the ground to the three-dimensional aviation domain, opening the era of true ubiquitous communication.”

KT is already looking ahead to the future, working on the standardization of technology that partially replaces ground-based 5G networks with 5G NTN in 3GPP Release 19. This involves conducting integration tests to verify the technology once the standard is completed. The goal is to connect and protect billions of people and objects, as well as to create business opportunities.

Source: Business Korea