There are different technologies for wireless internet connectivity. But Satellite Internet is gaining momentum. It’s hard to say that Elon Musk’s StarLink was the company that boosted this field. But we also can’t deny that it has a huge role in this. Anyway. This type of internet is not uncommon. But what’s more important is that it is available in specific areas and on specific devices. So many users wonder when ordinary smartphones will be able to get access to such a network.
The world’s first satellite internet chip
Today, MediaTek officially announced that it had completed the world’s first 5G NTN (non-terrestrial network) satellite mobile phone laboratory connection test. In other words, the new chip allows smartphones to access the Internet directly through satellite signals. So this means that the future 5G mobile phones can be used directly as satellite phones.
The test was jointly completed by MediaTek and Germany’s Rohde & Schwarz. Based on the functions and procedures defined in the 3GPP Rel-17 specification, the mobile communication chip equipped with 5G NR NTN satellite network functions by MediaTek was used as the benchmark.
In the laboratory environment, the simulated satellite has an altitude of 600 kilometers and a speed of up to 27,000 kilometers per hour, using the low-orbit satellite communication mode.
However, MediaTek did not disclose the technical details of the relevant communication chip. But we expect it to be integrated into the SoC in the future.
The 5G NTN satellite network can provide complete signal coverage for mobile phones and can penetrate into areas that are difficult to reach by general terrestrial networks. In addition, smartphones can directly use satellite signals to surf the Internet. Combined with the existing terrestrial network and satellite network resources, it forms a wireless network. The communication network is seamlessly connected, and the mobile phone itself does not need to use additional accessories.
