KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- Mavenir, the cloud-native network infrastructure provider, and Terrestar Solutions Inc, Canada’s premier mobile satellite operator, have achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully completing an industry-first Voice over Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) call in Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) mode.
The achievement was conducted over a 3GPP-standardised NTN S-band spectrum, avoiding interference common in terrestrial networks. Designed to work with GEO satellite delays as well, the network ensures consistent coverage despite higher latency, enabling GEO operators to monetise NTN services immediately.
Mavenir Senior Vice President and General Manager, RAN Business Unit, Sachin Karkala said satellite services enhance terrestrial networks by extending coverage, especially in remote areas.
“This development allows satellite operators to launch voice services immediately using available spectrum, existing GEO satellites and industry-standard user equipment with a simple software upgrade to deliver voice services countrywide,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Terrestar Solutions President, Jacques Leduc said Terrestar Solutions embodies innovation and leadership as the first MSS player to offer a real-time voice service based on a fully compliant 3GPP non-terrestrial network.
He added that its dedicated S-band spectrum and open network architecture allow the company to leverage the 3GPP ecosystem to create this breakthrough, accelerating satellite mobile connectivity and ensuring security and autonomy for users.
This industry-first call took place in January 2025, using the standard codec, Sony’s Altair ALT1250 module, Mavenir Open RAN (Open vRAN and Open Beam radio), and Mavenir Converged Packet Core was conducted in collaboration with Terrestar.
The successful Voice over NB-IoT (VoNB) call highlights Mavenir’s and Terrestar’s industry leadership in delivering innovative solutions that bridge the connectivity gap in challenging and remote environments.
By leveraging 3GPP standards-based NTN technology, the collaboration is driving the integration of satellite and terrestrial networks to bring seamless connectivity to underserved regions, supporting IoT use cases and extending the scope of reliable communication.
This achievement paves the way for broader adoption of NTN-based NB-IoT solutions and further integration of voice services into IoT ecosystems as the standards progress. It also reinforces Mavenir’s role as a pioneer in delivering technologies that empower industries and communities worldwide.
-- BERNAMA
