preface
Hi guys! Today we’re going to take a deeper look at a technology that makes communications more powerful—5G NTN. It combines with satellite communications to bring us a new era of communications. In this article, we will use vernacular to reveal the relationship between 5G NTN and satellite communications, and explore the wonderful journey of this communications world.
Advantages of 5G NTN
Why should we choose 5G NTN? This is because it has many advantages:
First of all, 5G NTN can allow communications to cover the whole world, no longer restricted by geographical location, making our communication more free.
Secondly, it can span the space of the earth and cover a wider area, including those remote places and seas.
Furthermore, 5G NTN provides faster transmission speeds and more stable signals, meeting our needs for fast and reliable communications.
5G NTN architecture
The architecture of 5G NTN involves two types: regeneration and transparency.
When we talk about the technical architecture of 5G NTN, the two concepts of regeneration and transparency are inevitably involved. The two actually refer to different methods used in transmitting signals in satellite communications.
Regeneration technology: Imagine that when our communication signals are transmitted over long distances, they may become weak due to reasons such as too far distance and signal attenuation. At this time, a method is needed to "restore" the signal so that it maintains its original strength and quality. This is what regenerative technology does.
Regenerative technology acts like a signal doctor on a satellite, picking up, strengthening and re-transmitting the signal. It ensures that the signal does not lose important information as it travels through space, acting as a protector for the signal. This method ensures the stability of communication and allows us to communicate smoothly even in remote places.
Transparent technology:
Transparency technology takes a different approach. It makes the satellite more like a communication transfer station, without any modification of the signal, and directly transmits the signal intact to the mobile phone or other terminal device. It's like the satellite is a bridge that directly passes the vehicles (signals) sent by the ground station without making any changes.
Transparent technology preserves the originality of information, making satellites more of a delivery tool than an intervener. This method minimizes signal processing and retains the purity of the signal. In communications, transparent technology is often used in scenarios where signal integrity needs to be maintained to ensure that the information we receive is exactly the same as what was sent by the ground station.
In short, regeneration technology is a means to enhance the signal during transmission, while transparency technology is a way to keep the signal as authentic as possible. The two together form the technical foundation of 5G NTN in satellite communications, ensuring that we can conduct unimpeded global communications.
Popular science knowledge about satellite communications
Satellites are little friends in space, and there are three main types:
Low-orbit satellites (LEO): Fly closest to the earth's surface and at the fastest speed, like a close friend of the earth.
Medium-orbit satellite (MEO): Running between the earth and space, it is an existence with moderate speed.
Geostationary orbiting satellite (GEO): Fixed at a certain location on the earth, used to provide constant communication services, like a guardian of the earth.
How 5G NTN combines these three types of satellites
5G NTN achieves global coverage and communication services through different types of satellites:
Low Earth Orbit Satellite (LEO): Provides high-speed mobile communication services, suitable for mobile devices and high-speed transportation.
Medium-orbit satellite (MEO): Expand communication coverage so that remote areas and edge areas can also enjoy stable communication services.
Geostationary orbit satellite (GEO): Remains in a fixed position and provides continuous communication services. It is suitable for scenarios that require stable connections for a long time, such as broadcasting and weather monitoring.
challenges to overcome
However, this dream of the future is not without challenges:
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Latency problem: The distance between satellites and ground equipment causes increased communication delays, which may pose a challenge to some applications with high real-time requirements.
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The Doppler mystery of frequency: The Doppler frequency shift caused by the high-speed motion of satellites requires us to handle it skillfully to ensure the accuracy of signal transmission.
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Expansion of the technical field: Delay has an impact on the protocol layer, retransmission mechanism, resource scheduling, etc. We need to design cleverly to deal with these challenges.
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Doppler frequency shift: Frequency changes caused by satellite motion require precise processing to ensure the accuracy of signal transmission.
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Ground station requirements, radio frequency, antenna technology, etc.: The NTN core network is on the ground, and the connection between satellites and ground stations will be a huge challenge. Issues such as path loss, power amplification, and radio frequency performance need to be solved.
Conclusion
Through an in-depth understanding of 5G NTN, we find that this technology is pushing communications into a new era. As an important part of it, satellite communication brings us a broader communication space. Although there are some challenges, the continuous advancement of technology will provide new possibilities to overcome these difficulties. Let us look forward to it together, 5G NTN will bring more surprises and convenience to our communication experience. This is a new world of communication. We explore it together with satellites and jointly write a wonderful journey of communication.