[Jung Gu-min's Look Ahead] Various Non-Terrestrial Network Technologies Showcased at MWC 2025
At this year's MWC 2025, various non-terrestrial network (NTN) technologies using satellites and drones were exhibited. Non-terrestrial network technologies can be used not only for communications between ships and airplanes, but also to connect mountainous areas and islands. They can also be used to restore communications networks in the event of disasters or emergencies.
At MWC 2024 held last year, there was an exhibition of Alto's stratospheric communications drone (HAPS, High Altitude Platform Station), KDDI's announcement of Starlink cooperation, and NTT Docomo and Vodafone's announcement of satellite communications cooperation. At MWC 2025, related technologies were shown to be developing in earnest.
Deutsche Telekom's flying base station exhibition. [Photo=Professor Jeong Gu-min of Kookmin University]
Deutsche Telekom's Flying Base Station Safety Steve Exhibition
Deutsche Telekom showcased an exhibition related to the Flying Base Station (FBS).
The company announced that it provided communication services to users of a wide ski resort for a certain period of time through this flying base station provided at a ski stadium. This flying base station can provide communication services for up to 10 hours within a 5km radius at an altitude of 3km or less.
Communication signals can be received from ground base stations or satellites. The drone body that uses an internal combustion engine is manufactured by Primoco of the Czech Republic, and the communication module is provided by Deutsche Telekom.
Deutsche Telekom announced that it has the advantage of enabling communication for a certain period of time in mountainous areas or areas without communication.
KT's NTN-related vision exhibition. [Photo = Professor Jeong Gu-min of Kookmin University]
KT's exhibition related to non-terrestrial networks
KT conducted the world's first application experiment in September 2024 by applying 5G NTN standard technology to Mugunghwa Satellite 6, a geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite, to communicate with a terrestrial network. In February, the company announced that it had succeeded in transmitting FHD (Full HD)-level video by linking a GEO satellite and a ground terminal in cooperation with Rohde & Schwarz Korea and Viavi Solutions Korea. At
MWC 2025, KT presented an exhibition of the linkage of GEO satellites and ground terminals. The company stated that it is currently collaborating with Starlink, a type of low-altitude (LEO, Low Earth Orbit) satellite, and plans to accelerate the acquisition of non-terrestrial network-related technologies by joining the HAPS Alliance in the future. This is expected to accelerate the development of non-terrestrial network technology that links HAPS-LEO satellites and GEO satellites.
KDDI's Starlink-linked drone exhibition. [Photo = Professor Jeong Gu-min of Kookmin University] KDDI's
Starlink-related exhibition
KDDI announced at MWC 2024 its plan to launch a smartphone in collaboration with Starlink within 2024. Although the related plan has been somewhat delayed, KDDI has conducted tests on Starlink-supported smartphones and plans to commercialize Starlink-supported smartphones within the first half of 2025.
At MWC 2025, KDDI showcased a Starlink-supported drone service. This drone can receive communication signals from Starlink satellites and enable communication services in mountainous, oceanic, and island areas.
NTT Docomo's HAPS-LEO satellite-GEO satellite linkage vision. [Photo=Professor Jeong Gu-min of Kookmin University]
NTT Docomo's HAPS-LEO satellite-GEO satellite linkage system
NTT Docomo presented a communication system that links HAPS-LEO satellite-GEO satellite. This is a method of providing services by linking non-terrestrial networks with different communication area ranges, operating hours, and data speeds.
For HAPS, NTT Docomo plans to receive airframes from Alto in the UK, and for LEO, it plans to cooperate with Amazon's Kuiper, which competes with Starlink.
For reference, HAPS is planned to be commercialized in 2026, and the observation LEO satellite that it will manufacture itself will be launched in 2027, with services starting in 2028.
Evolution of communication technology using drones and satellites
Communication technology using drones and satellites has the characteristics of 2D communication that supports the entire land and sea by expanding the existing user-centered communication environment, 3D communication that supports communication in the aviation area, and communication in preparation for disasters and emergencies.
At MWC 2025, various technologies were showcased to provide non-terrestrial network communications by complexly connecting flying base stations, stratospheric communication drones, low-orbit satellites, and geostationary satellites.
Related technologies are expected to be affected by the future NTN standardization of 3GPP. It is also necessary to pay attention to the evolution of non-terrestrial network technologies, which will be key to the evolution of 6G.
Professor Koo-min Jeong of Kookmin University [Photo = provided by the author]
Who is Professor Koo-min Jeong of Kookmin University?
Professor Koo-min Jeong of the Department of Electronic Engineering at Kookmin University was a founding member of NeoMtel Co., Ltd. and later worked at SK Telecom. He is an expert who has experienced both industry and academia, having served as an advisory professor at the Hyundai Motor Company Production Technology Development Center, LG Electronics CTO Division, Samsung Electronics Software Center, and Naver Naver Labs, and as an outside director of Ubivelox.
He currently serves as an outside director of Hyumex and Hyundai Autoever, an advisory professor at Hyundai Kepco, senior vice president of the Korea Mobility Society, vice president of the Korea Information and Electronic Communication Technology Society, and director of the Information and Control Division of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers.
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