Samsung Electronics Proposes Strategy to Ensure Mobile Service Continuity Outside Terrestrial Coverage via 6G NTN

Samsung Electronics defines the role of 6G NTN(Non-Terrestrial Network) not as competition with terrestrial networks (TN), but as a continuity layer that extends service boundaries in areas where terrestrial infrastructure is absent or damaged. It aims for mass adoption by reusing the operational models of the existing mobile ecosystem—such as standardized devices, authentication, and roaming—for NTN.

Strategic Position and Limitations of NTN

NTN does not aim to provide terrestrial-level broadband services in all regions. It focuses on guaranteeing essential connectivity in areas such as mountainous regions, at sea, and in disaster zones, supporting functions like short message transmission, location sharing, and small-volume data reporting. This implies the need to meet differing requirements for device performance, antenna size, power consumption, and regulations across use cases such as emergency communication, satellite IoT, and portable broadband.

Core Challenges in 6G NTN Design

6G NTN must ensure mobile continuity, allowing mobile services to persist with minimal disruption even when terrestrial coverage weakens or fails, going beyond simple satellite access. To achieve this, separate radio design assumptions accounting for physical differences between terrestrial and satellite networks (such as propagation delay) are required, and optimized operational models tailored to the characteristics of TN and NTN must be established rather than treating them as a single market.