Mountain View, CA/Munich 21-Feb-2024

Skylo achieves successful phase 1 validation of NTN test plan with Rohde & Schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz has reached a major milestone: its NTN Netop test solutions have been accepted as part of Skylo’s NTN Certification Program.

The Rohde & Schwarz NTN Netop test solutions have been accepted as part of the NTN Certification Program of Skylo, the pioneer in non-terrestrial networks (NTN). The Netop product now boasts a suite of 64 validated test cases that address the unique challenges of satellite communication, including variable orbital dynamics and the resulting Doppler shifts and delays.

The test cases cover a variety of orbit scenarios, including geostationary orbit (GEO) with variable delay and Doppler effects, in different SINR conditions. The Netop test suite is meticulously crafted to meet the stringent requirements of the Skylo test plan, ensuring that chipset, module, and device manufacturers can seamlessly validate their products for Skylo's NTN.

With its comprehensive testing strategy Rohde & Schwarz is ready to support reliable NTN communications, catering to the evolving needs of global mobile networks. This includes:

• Key performance and protocol facets of NB-IoT in non-terrestrial networks (NTN).
• Performance tests meticulously evaluate attach and search times across a spectrum of SINR conditions, ensuring reliable connectivity.
• Protocol testing delves into cell selection and reselection, IMSI attach/detach procedures, and EPS bearer setups for IP and non-IP APNs, reflecting the product’s capability to handle diverse operational scenarios.

Dr. Andrew Nuttall, CTO and Co-Founder of Skylo, states: “With the validation of these test cases, Skylo is setting a new benchmark for reliability and quality in satellite communication. This partnership is instrumental in pushing the envelope of what’s possible, ensuring that our NTN solutions are not only robust but also future-proof. This is a huge step in ensuring that devices can rapidly be certified and used on our network.”

The Netop test solutions for carrier acceptance are a comprehensive framework for test houses and developers aiming to expedite the certification process, thus accelerating the market adoption of NTN technologies. With the validated test setup from Rohde & Schwarz, the industry can look forward to a faster transition from testing to market launch, ensuring high-quality, reliable services over Skylo’s NTN.

Christoph Pointner, Senior Vice President of Mobile Network Testers at Rohde & Schwarz, says: “Our Netop product line stands at the forefront of NTN testing, offering unparalleled depth and breadth in test scenarios. With the validation of these test cases, we are enabling a faster and more efficient certification process, driving the industry forward.”

Rohde & Schwarz will demonstrate the Skylo NTN Netop test plan at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in hall 5, booth 5A80, showcasing how chipset vendors, device manufacturers, and test houses can leverage these advanced solutions to facilitate rapid market introduction of NTN devices into the Skylo network.

For further information on NTN test solutions from Rohde & Schwarz, visit: https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/_256719.html

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Rohde & Schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz is striving for a safer and connected world with its Test & Measurement, Technology Systems and Networks & Cybersecurity Divisions. For over 90 years, the global technology group has pushed technical boundaries with developments in cutting-edge technologies. The company's leading-edge products and solutions empower industrial, regulatory and government customers to attain technological and digital sovereignty. The privately owned, Munich based company can act independently, long-term and sustainably. Rohde & Schwarz generated net revenue of EUR 2.93 billion in the 2023/2024 fiscal year (July to June). On June 30, 2024, Rohde & Schwarz had more than 14,400 employees worldwide.

R&S® is a registered trademark of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG.

About Skylo Technologies

Skylo Technologies is a global NTN service provider based in Mountain View, CA, offering a service that allows smartphone and IoT cellular devices to connect directly over existing satellites. Devices connected over satellite are managed and served by Skylo's commercial NTN vRAN, featuring a 3GPP standards-based cloud-native base station and core. Skylo works with existing satellite operators, network operators, and device makers to provide subscribers an anywhere, anytime connectivity solution that seamlessly roams between terrestrial and satellite networks. Skylo's focus is on enabling connected services for people outdoors and connected workflows for machines at work across critical industries such as agriculture, maritime, logistics, mining, and others, in addition to mass-market consumer devices. For more information, visit www.skylo.tech, contact info@skylo.tech, or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.