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Validating NR-NTN LEO Mobility for Satellite-to-Mobile Deployments
Keysight and Samsung collaborate to demonstrate lab-based validation of 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NR-NTN), aligning with upcoming LEO satellite timelines like Starlink Direct to Cell.
www.keysight.com
As 5G evolves toward 6G, the integration of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites is becoming essential for universal coverage. However, LEO environments introduce significant technical hurdles, including rapid satellite motion, frequent handovers between cells, and dynamic link conditions. To address these, Keysight and Samsung have developed a laboratory-based validation workflow that recreates these complex orbital characteristics, allowing chipset and device vendors to prove performance before live satellite constellations are fully deployed.
Recreating the LEO Environment in the Laboratory
The core of the demonstration at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 involves Keysight’s NTN Network Emulator Solutions. By integrating these with a Samsung NR-NTN modem, the setup simulates the high-velocity physics of LEO satellites.
Key technical focus areas include:
- Mobility and Handover: Validating the modem's ability to maintain service continuity as it switches between rapidly moving satellite beams.
- MIMO Configurations: Testing high-throughput Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output antenna setups under satellite-link constraints.
- Link Adaptation: Assessing how the modem reacts to the stringent and shifting signal requirements of space-based transmitters.
Enhanced Positioning and PNT Integration
A critical component of the NR-NTN workflow is accurate Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT). Following Keysight’s acquisition of Spirent, the demonstration now includes enhanced positioning emulation via PNT Xe. This allows for:
A critical component of the NR-NTN workflow is accurate Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT). Following Keysight’s acquisition of Spirent, the demonstration now includes enhanced positioning emulation via PNT Xe. This allows for:
- GNSS-Based Positioning: Accurate emulation of global navigation satellite signals within the end-to-end validation.
- Stringent Timing Requirements: Ensuring the device can synchronize with satellite constellations for precise geolocation and connection triggers.
- Service Continuity: Proving that the device remains connected even as it moves beyond the reach of terrestrial cell towers.
Accelerating the Direct-to-Device Ecosystem
By providing a repeatable, lab-based environment that mimics Starlink’s deployment scenarios, the partnership helps reduce the risk and time-to-market for the next generation of smartphones and IoT modules. Jungwon Lee of Samsung emphasized that this validation is crucial for overcoming the "new technical challenges" of LEO modem design. As satellite-to-mobile moves from concept to reality, these high-fidelity simulations ensure that users remain connected in remote areas where traditional terrestrial coverage is unavailable.
www.keysight.com
By providing a repeatable, lab-based environment that mimics Starlink’s deployment scenarios, the partnership helps reduce the risk and time-to-market for the next generation of smartphones and IoT modules. Jungwon Lee of Samsung emphasized that this validation is crucial for overcoming the "new technical challenges" of LEO modem design. As satellite-to-mobile moves from concept to reality, these high-fidelity simulations ensure that users remain connected in remote areas where traditional terrestrial coverage is unavailable.
www.keysight.com
