The “Ubiquitous Network” concept would allow a user to maintain a stable 5G connection on a single device through a combination of terrestrial mobile and satellite communication networks.
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“Until now, the challenge was aligning standards that allowed the two different networks to connect,” said Bruno Fromont, chief technology officer of Intelsat.
“With recent progress on 5G-based standardisation of non-terrestrial networks led by Intelsat at 3GPP and this strategic collaboration with SoftBank, we are ideally positioned to accelerate the design and practical implementation of commercial hybrid services that will allow devices to freely roam between satellite and terrestrial networks.”
SoftBank and Intelsat will work together to create a communication solution that would allow 5-G-enabled devices like drones and autonomous cars to stay connected — switching between networks when outside of terrestrial mobile network coverage.
Design, development, field testing and commercialization will be conducted in phases aligned with the development of the new 5G non-terrestrial network standards.
The resulting hybrid solutions would allow for existing satellite terminals to be used in the near term and 5G-based terminals as they become more widely available.
The companies believe the proposed Ubiquitous Network would have “wide commercial applicability” including in land mobile, maritime, and disaster response and recovery.
“By using technology that switches between terrestrial mobile networks and satellite communication networks through roaming, we can integrate the two previously separate networks and utilise satellite communication as an extension of mobile communication,” said Hideyuki Tsukuda, executive VP and CTO of SoftBank.
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