Satellite 5G crosses a useful boundary: different vendors, one connected system

A satellite network becomes more interesting commercially when its components can be selected from different suppliers and still communicate.

Kratos reported that result on 8 October in a 5G NR non-terrestrial network demonstration involving KT SAT and partners.

The announcement describes an integrated system, rather than compatibility asserted separately for each component.

Three layers must agree

The reported chain used the OpenSpace radio access network, Druid Software’s Raemis 5G core and user equipment based on GCT’s GDM7275X. Kratos says it completed cell search, registered with the core and established two-way communication. These steps provide an intelligible account of what worked; the announcement does not supply customer-service performance measurements.

The radio access network connects the device to the network. The core handles the network functions behind that access, while the user equipment is the endpoint using the connection. If those layers come from different suppliers, the interfaces between them become commercially important. A specification on each product’s own datasheet is less persuasive than the products completing the same communication sequence together.