Telco-satellite partnerships point the way to a hetnet future

SoftBank Corp’s new partnership with Intelsat is not the first 5G-satellite collaboration, but it seems to be the first to take a global approach.

The partners want to build a hybrid solution that would allow a device to stay connected via a mobile or satellite network anywhere in the world through a single device and a single account.

They say a big priority will be development of a “universal device that will roam seamlessly” between mobile and satellite and stay connected.

One reason for this is because, unlike most of the other telco-satellite services being rolled out, this one will be based on Intelsat’s GEOsat fleet, which will demand a lot more from earthbound devices than those connecting to LEOsats.

They say the new devices will be based on new 3GPP 5G NTN specifications, allowing for existing satellite terminals to be used in the near-term, and then migrating to newer 5G-based terminals as they become available.

The partners will target segments such as maritime, disaster response and land mobile. Beyond that they offer little further detail, other than that they will build on the current roaming architectures.

Domestic focus 

The obvious regional comparison is with China Telecom, which has been running a service off its three Tiantong geosats in mainland China for several years. 

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