With Apple announcing satellite connectivity — albeit only for emergency use — in iPhone 14 line-up, Samsung too now, is getting in the game. The Korean consumer electronics giant has unveiled its latest innovation in the 5G space: a non-terrestrial networks (NTN) modem. The new modem is designed to bring high-speed 5G connectivity to non-terrestrial networks, such as satellites and high-altitude platforms (HAPs).
Samsung’s announcement of its NTN modem comes at a time when the demand for reliable and fast connectivity is increasing rapidly. Additionally, the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the need for connected devices and sensors in various industries, such as healthcare and transportation, are driving the demand for better connectivity.
According to the company, it plans to integrate the 5G NTN modem into its existing Exynos modem solutions, allowing users to send and receive calls, text messages, and data, all without the need for a cellular network. The technology will be ideal to deal with networks and communication in areas where there is poor or no cellular network connectivity (such as deserts, mountains, or even oceans), allowing phones in such locations to seamlessly communicate with satellites. Samsung noted that the technology will also be useful in assuring “operability in disaster areas and powering future urban air mobility (UAM) such as unmanned aircraft and flying cars.”
Enabling communications in areas with poor or no cellular network is an area that has seen an increased focus from tech companies in recent times. Apple, when it revealed its new iPhone 14 lineup, announced that the latest generation of its flagship smartphones will be equipped with the new Emergency SOS via satellite feature. The feature even proved its utility after it worked in tandem with Crash Detection to help rescue and save lives last year.
“This milestone builds on our rich legacy in wireless communications technologies, following the introduction of the industry’s first commercial 4G LTE modem in 2009 and the industry’s first 5G modem in 2018,” Min Goo Kim, Executive Vice President of CP (Communication Processor) Development at Samsung Electronics, spoke on the matter. “Samsung aims to take the lead in advancing hybrid terrestrial-NTN communications ecosystems around the world in preparation for the arrival of 6G.” The upcoming Exynos Modem 5300 will allow users in very remote areas to communicate with the world using NTN technology.
5G NTN works with traditional communication services from chip manufacturers, smartphone makers, and telecoms, and in the future, Samsung aims to secure a standardized NB-IoT NTN technology for use in its next-generation modem platforms, the company added. It stimulated the technology using its Exynos Modem 5300 platform – using it to accurately predict satellite locations and minimize frequency offsets caused by Doppler shift – and in time, will even enable the sharing of high-definition images and videos.
Samsung’s NTN modem is a significant innovation in the 5G space, possessing the potential to revolutionize connectivity in remote and hard-to-reach areas, as well as provide reliable and fast connectivity to moving vehicles. In fact, the integration of the tech is likely to pave the way for the 6G-driven Internet of Everything (IoE) and further boost the commercialization of 5G satellite communications.
