Samsung Electronics announced on Thursday that it has obtained standardised 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN) modem technology enabling direct connection between smartphones and satellites, particularly in remote areas.
NTN is a communications technology that employs satellites and other non-terrestrial vehicles to offer connectivity to areas that were previously inaccessible by terrestrial networks, whether across mountains, across deserts, or in the middle of the ocean.
According to the business, it will also be crucial in ensuring operability in disaster regions and powering future urban air mobility (UAM) such as unmanned aircraft and flying cars.
“This milestone builds on our rich legacy in wireless communications technologies, following the introduction of the industry’s first commercial 4G LTE modem in 2009 and the industry’s first 5G modem in 2018,a Min Goo Kim, Executive Vice President of Communication Processo) Development at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement.
Furthermore, the company stated that it intends to include this technology into Samsung’s Exynos modem solutions, so speeding up the commercialization of 5G satellite communications and paving the way for the 6G-driven Internet of Everything (IoE) era.
The tech giant also developed and modelled a 5G NTN standard-based satellite system for extremely reliable NTN communication with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites using its Exynos Modem 5300 reference platform to precisely predict satellite locations and reduce frequency offsets brought on by the Doppler shift.
Future Samsung Exynos modems will offer high-definition image and video sharing in addition to two-way text messaging based on this technology, the company said.
