3GPP Release 17, published in 2022, represents a major milestone in telecommunications as the first release to formally integrate non-terrestrial network (NTN) platforms—including LEO, MEO, and GEO satellites, as well as High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS)—into the global 5G standard,. It specifically introduces support for two distinct types of non-terrestrial networks: 5G New Radio (NR) and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT).
The support for these technologies is structured as follows:
1. 5G New Radio (NR) NTN Support
Release 17 enables standard, unmodified 5G smartphones to communicate directly with satellites using 5G NR NTN protocols,.
- Spectrum and Use Cases: It supports satellite access for handsets in the Frequency Range 1 (FR1) band. The primary aim is to provide voice and data transmission in geographic areas underserved by traditional terrestrial towers.
- Network Architecture: Under Release 17, the integration primarily utilizes transparent (or “bent-pipe”) payloads,. In this model, the satellite acts as a relay, reflecting signals between the user equipment (UE) and a ground-based base station (gNodeB),.
2. NB-IoT NTN Support
This release extends 5G connectivity to the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, allowing devices to connect directly to satellite constellations.
- Global Sensing: By supporting NB-IoT NTN, Release 17 enables massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC) and global sensing capabilities for industries such as agriculture, logistics, and environmental monitoring,.
- Standardisation: It allows for the use of Release 17-compliant IoT solutions that can switch between terrestrial cell towers and satellites depending on availability.
3. Addressing Technical Hurdles
To make NB-IoT and 5G NR viable in a space environment, Release 17 introduced specific enhancements to overcome the physical challenges of satellite links:
- Propagation Delay: The standards include mechanisms to “trick” or manage the device’s timing to account for the extended distances signals must travel to reach orbit,.
- Doppler Shift: Enhancements address the severe frequency shifts caused by high-speed LEO satellites moving relative to stationary or moving users on the ground,,.
- Mobility Management: The release provides frameworks for handover and connection setup between moving terminals and base stations located on moving satellite platforms.
By establishing these foundational standards, Release 17 allows the mobile and satellite industries to move away from expensive, proprietary custom solutions toward a wider, interoperable ecosystem that utilizes economies of scale,,.
To understand this shift, consider the “Unified Language” analogy: before Release 17, satellites and mobile phones spoke different “languages” and required expensive translators (specialised hardware); Release 17 provides a single, universal dictionary that allows standard devices to talk directly to spaceborne towers without needing any hardware modifications.
Author: Craig Miles
Founder & Director at Yesway Communications | Wireless Technology, Training & Two-Way Radio Solutions | TEDx Speaker | Advancing Inclusive & Global Education Through Innovation