Ericsson, Qualcomm, Thales Partnering on Satcom 5G Tests

Ericsson, Qualcomm and Thales will join on testing and validation of satellite-delivered 5G networks, Qualcomm said Monday. The testing goal will be validation of technology components needed to enable 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN), including a 5G smartphone, satellite payload and 5G network pieces on the ground, it said. Ericsson plans to verify a 5G virtual radio access network stack modified to handle radio signals propagating via low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, it said. Thales said it plans to verify a 5G radio satellite payload suitable for deployment on LEO satellites. Qualcomm said it will test phones verifying that 5G NTN can be accessed by future 5G smartphones.