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3GPP wishes to acknowledge the role of Munira Jaffar, ESOA Standards Working Group, in the creation of this article. In the copy checking and
publication phase, we now realize that we overlooked giving credit for Munira's work. Apologies to both Simon and Munira for any frustration
caused.
30/7/21 KF

FULFILLING THE PROMISE OF

ANYTIME, FROM ANYWHERE

AND ON ANY DEVICE &

NETWORKS

By Simon Watts, Global Network & Services Policy, ESOA

Satellite communications have Furthermore, a study to address features connecting airplanes, drones, and ships.
demonstrated their critical importance necessary to enable LTE NB-IoT/eMTC One recent example is Project Darwin
and value in today’s world. The substantial to support satellite has been started in that seeks to leverage these different
value added of satellite to the access November as part of Release-17. This cases of convergence between 5G and
technology mix for 5G is becoming work will contribute to better support Satellite to enable commercial use cases
increasingly clear, especially for unserved/ for vertical businesses and applications of Mobility as a Service where 5G and
underserved areas and for mission critical requiring global service continuity in Satellite complement each other to
and other applications where ubiquitous various domains such as agriculture, ensure continuous connectivity to cloud
coverage and resiliency are crucial. transport and logistics. applications with assured levels of service
including leveraging the ATSSS lower layer
The 5G ecosystem calls for a flexible, Additionally, through collaboration functionality.
adaptable technology framework, fully with NGMN, key ESOA members have
capable of supporting multiple access successfully demonstrated to 3GPP that At a time when all of humanity is
technologies that can best respond to the space-based networks integrated in sharing the experience of the COVID-19
ever-increasing expectations and demands 5G provide an effective alternative for pandemic, a satellite component of 5G
of the users. Via full integration into 3GPP network connection beyond traditional offers a compelling case for its central
standards, 5G offers a unique opportunity deployment methods, especially in rural role in helping to realize the full promise
for the satellite industry to fully establish areas. Integrating space-based systems and potential of 5G: enabling global
its place in the global communications with existing terrestrial networks enables collaboration among health communities,
ecosystem. mobile network operators to overcome expanding access to telemedicine,
the challenge of signal quality and roaming enabling tele-education and tele-work,
For the past few years, the satellite 1
industry has engaged proactively capabilities in underserved areas. Much facilitating ongoing economic activity and
with the mobile industry and vertical other collaborative work has taken place supporting social-distancing.
stakeholders at 3GPP and other forums and ongoing activities working with www.esoa.net
to ensure that satellite technologies partners looking at sectors from agri-tech
can be fully integrated into 5G system and Connected Vehicles on the ground to
at the architecture and the radio access
network (RAN) level. The integration
will contribute to the AnyTime, from
AnyWhere and on Any Device (ATAWAD)
goal associated to the provision of 5G
services.
3GPP has started the normative activities
in support of satellite integration into
the 5G system, as part of the Release 17.
The work includes developing technical
specifications to support transparent
payload-based scenarios addressing UE
with GNSS capability. These work items
have been supported by a wide range
of organizations from the satellite and
mobile industries as well as professional
and governmental stakeholders. This
paves the way for the definition of a global
standard for satellite networks operating
at LEO, MEO or GEO orbits in various
frequency bands.
1 https://www.ngmn.org/ngmn-news/press-release/ngmn-alliance-and-esoa-members-collaborate-to-extend-rural-connectivity-with-non-terrestrial-networks.html
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