ST Engineering iDirect INT3000 modem bridges 5G NTN and DVB networks

The successful pilot of the ST Engineering iDirect INT3000 modem provides a technical bridge for satellite operators caught between legacy DVB standards and the emerging 5G ecosystem. By integrating dual waveforms into a single terminal, the hardware reduces the capital expenditure required for multi-orbit transitions and prevents the need for separate user equipment. For the broader streaming infrastructure, this development signals a shift toward unified satellite-terrestrial delivery, potentially stabilizing high-bandwidth video feeds in remote areas. Watch for the commercial integration of these 5G NR waveforms into the Intuition ground system to see how quickly operators move away from GNSS-dependent timing.

ST Engineering iDirect is entering a rapidly intensifying field of vendors building 5G NTN-compatible satellite terminals. In March 2025, Qualcomm demonstrated the first 5G NTN video call over a geostationary satellite using its Snapdragon X75 modem, marking a milestone for chip-level integration of 3GPP Release 17 non-terrestrial network standards into commercial silicon. That demonstration underscored the push toward making satellite connectivity a native part of the 5G ecosystem rather than a proprietary add-on, the same architectural philosophy behind the INT3000's dual-waveform design. Meanwhile, MediaTek completed its first 5G NTN data call over a LEO satellite constellation in early 2025, signaling that chipset competition is expanding beyond GEO into multi-orbit scenarios that mirror the INT3000's stated goal of supporting diverse orbital planes.

On the standards and regulatory front, 3GPP Release 19 work items are expanding NTN capabilities to include enhanced mobility and multi-orbit handover, which directly affects how modems like the INT3000 will need to evolve. The European Space Agency awarded a contract in late 2024 to develop 5G NTN ground-segment interoperability tests as part of its Space 5G programme, establishing a European testbed for validating that satellite terminals can interoperate across different network operators and orbital regimes. This ESA-backed effort aligns with the Intuition ground system's positioning as a software-defined platform that can adapt to evolving 3GPP requirements without hardware swaps. Separately, the ITU's World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 allocated additional Ka-band spectrum for non-geostationary satellite systems, creating new frequency resources that next-generation modems must support alongside existing DVB-S2X allocations.

From a technical benchmark perspective, independent testing of 5G NTN performance over satellite links remains limited but is growing. Rohde & Schwarz published measurement results in 2025 showing that 5G NR waveforms over GEO satellite links experience round-trip latencies of approximately 540 milliseconds, requiring HARQ timing adjustments that differ significantly from terrestrial 5G deployments. These latency characteristics are precisely why the INT3000's ability to fall back on DVB-S2X/MRC waveforms matters: operators can route latency-sensitive traffic over optimized legacy waveforms while reserving 5G NR for services that benefit from its scheduling flexibility. ST Engineering iDirect also announced in 2025 that its Intuition ground system had been selected by a major European satellite operator for a multi-year network modernization programme, providing a commercial pathway for the INT3000 modem to move from pilot to production deployment within existing operator infrastructure. For broader network management, the company is also deploying the ST Engineering iDirect Foresight platform to automate multi-orbit satellite network management.