Communication Carriers and Satellite Companies Revolutionizing the Wireless Industry

TapTechNews June 21, research and consulting firm GSMAIntelligence released the latest report, pointing out that communication carriers are actively cooperating with satellite companies, and the integration of mobile networks and satellite networks has become a trend in the whole industry.

The report points out that 91 telecom operators worldwide have signed contracts with satellite companies to provide Low Earth Orbit (LEO) coverage services to 5 billion mobile users, accounting for 60% of the global market.

TapTechNews learned from the report that the main applications sought by telecom operators are mobile network backhaul networks and Direct to Device (D2D). Currently, about 45% of the running or planned to run services are related to D2D connections.

Most (80%-90%) of the partnerships focus on expanding connections in remote or underserved areas of the world. Other use cases include marine connections, emergency coverage during natural disasters, etc.

In the past 24 months, the focus of market operations has been on the technical development of direct-to-cellular solutions, and the latest 3GPP mobile standard has integrated Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) compatibility.

SpaceX is the world's largest Low Earth Orbit joint venture, with a giant satellite matrix composed of 6,000 orbital satellites, providing NTN services to global customers.

European satellite operator OneWeb is the second largest NTN company, with approximately 650 satellites in orbit; and companies such as ASTSpaceMobile are still testing their devices and networks.