ST Engineering iDirect 5G pilot bridges satellite and terrestrial networks

This demonstration provides a technical bridge for satellite operators who need to adopt 5G standards without abandoning current DVB-S2X investments. By integrating dual-waveform support into the INT3000, the company addresses the fragmentation between legacy satellite systems and the emerging 5G ecosystem. This move aligns satellite communications with broader terrestrial 3GPP standards, potentially simplifying the delivery of high-bandwidth video and data services across multi-orbit environments. Reducing dependence on GNSS for synchronization further improves operational resiliency in contested or signal-denied areas. Watch for the transition of this pilot into commercial production as operators seek to integrate satellite capacity into 5G and future 6G core networks.

The push to integrate satellite networks into 3GPP 5G standards has attracted significant industry momentum beyond ST Engineering iDirect. In early 2025, Qualcomm completed the first 5G NR-NTN data call over geostationary orbit using its Snapdragon X75 modem, validating the feasibility of direct-to-device connectivity through GEO satellites. That milestone followed 3GPP Release 17, which formally introduced NR-NTN specifications, and Release 18, which expanded support to include IoT-NTN and enhanced mobility scenarios. ST Engineering iDirect's INT3000 pilot fits squarely into this standards-driven convergence, offering a hardware path for operators who manage both legacy DVB-S2X and emerging 5G NR-NTN traffic on the same infrastructure.

On the regulatory and business side, the European Space Agency has been a key institutional backer of 5G NTN convergence. ESA's Space 5G programme funded multiple demonstration projects across 2024 and 2025 to validate non-terrestrial network integration with terrestrial 5G cores, covering use cases from emergency communications to maritime broadband. ST Engineering iDirect's collaboration with ESA on the Intuition platform aligns with these funded efforts, positioning the company for procurement opportunities as European operators plan 5G NTN rollouts. Meanwhile, the ITU's World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 allocated additional spectrum for mobile satellite services in the Ka and Ku bands, creating new frequency resources that dual-waveform modems like the INT3000 are designed to exploit.

Technical benchmarks and adjacent deployments further illustrate the competitive landscape ST Engineering iDirect is entering. Appear REMI production workflow validates bonded 5G and LEO satellite transport in 2026, signaling that chipset-level NTN support is moving toward mass-market pricing. For ST Engineering iDirect, the INT3000's dual-waveform capability and reduced GNSS dependency differentiate it from pure-play 5G NR-NTN chipsets that assume terrestrial timing references. The company's approach of maintaining DVB-S2X/MRC compatibility alongside 5G NR-NTN addresses a practical reality: most operational satellite fleets still run DVB-based ground segments, and a forced migration would be cost-prohibitive for many operators. As 3GPP Release 19 work on further NTN enhancements progresses, multi-waveform devices like the INT3000 are likely to serve as the transitional hardware layer between today's DVB-dominated satellite ecosystem and a future 5G-native architecture.