MediaTek will be demonstrating its innovative 3GPP NTN technology at MWC 2023
According to previous reports, Samsung announced that it has mastered the standardized 5G non-terrestrial network technology, which will be used for direct communication between smartphones and satellites, and plans to integrate this technology into its Exynos modem solutions to accelerate the commercialization of 5G satellite communication. MediaTek has been deeply involved in the mobile chip industry for many years and recently announced that it will showcase satellite communication technology at the 2023 World Mobile Communications Conference (MWC 2023).
Satellite communication aims to fill the gap in mobile network coverage and provide a reliable remote communication method for wireless devices. MediaTek’s satellite communication product portfolio is based on the 3GPP 5G specification for Release 17 (R17) and will develop IoT-NTN and NR-NTN technologies. IoT-NTN technology is designed for low-rate connections and is an ideal choice for transmitting information, while NR-NTN technology allows for higher connection speeds and can support applications such as video calls. However, the current satellite network largely supports IoT-NTN.
MediaTek’s IoT-NTN solution adopts an independent chip design, which makes it easy for manufacturers to integrate bidirectional satellite communication technology into smart devices such as smartphones. MediaTek has collaborated with Bullitt to launch the first commercial smartphones that use 3GPP NTN technology: the Motorola defy 2 and CAT S75. Both smartphones use the MT6825 IoT-NTN chipset and support Bullitt’s satellite communication services.
MediaTek stated that devices equipped with the MT6825 IoT-NTN chipset have a longer battery life, can automatically receive messages from satellites without the need for manual checking, and the highly integrated design of the chipset is conducive to shortening product development time and accelerating time to market. MediaTek also stated that chips supporting NR-NTN technology will be available soon, which can provide devices with higher connection speeds and are suitable for applications such as navigation and real-time communication.
