Viasat has begun live testing of WiSig’s 3GPP Release 17 NB-IoT non-terrestrial network chipset at its laboratories in the United Kingdom, evaluating it for use on Viasat’s global L-band network.
The chipset comprises a baseband processor, an RF system-on-chip and a module, and supports both L-band and S-band operation. It is designed so that a single device can connect to a terrestrial network where one exists and to a satellite where none does, using standardised 3GPP signalling rather than a proprietary satellite protocol.
Terrestrial coverage follows population. Pipelines, shipping, agriculture, forestry and grid infrastructure do not. Until non-terrestrial networks were standardised, a sensor on a remote asset needed an expensive proprietary satellite terminal, which is why most of them were never connected at all.
Applications identified in the programme include maritime and fisherman safety, disaster response, agriculture, mining and remote telemetry.
The work is backed by the Department of Telecommunications, MeitY, and the Design Linked Incentive scheme under the India Semiconductor Mission.
Placeholder for the quote from Prof. Kiran Kuchi carried in the original coverage. Replace with the approved wording before publishing.
Originally reported by Voice&Data, and covered internationally by SatNews and Developing Telecoms.
Operator trials, private 5G deployments, interoperability testing or academic collaboration.
