LAGOS – Convergence between mobile net­works and satellite services is becoming the norm rather than a niche strategy as a full 91 telecoms operators worldwide are now signed up to agreements with satellite pro­viders.

According to a report from mo­bile industry analyst GSMA Intelli­gence, the mobile-satellite contracts in place now cover about 60 percent of the total global market of mobile subscribers, with new deals still be­ing announced. It should be noted that few of these services are actu­ally available yet.

However, the general direction of travel represents a market shift from the telcos, with satellite in­creasingly viewed as a pragmatic means of network extension and access to fresh revenue streams.

In fact, the major premise of satellite connectivity is that it can extend to places where terrestrial networks do not reach or coverage is patchy, and thus about 80 to 90 per­cent of the links between telcos and satellite operators address remote area connectivity, the report notes. However, servicing maritime users and providing emergency coverage in the wake of natural disasters are also use cases under consideration.

Market momentum in the last 18 to 24 months was driven by direct-to-cell developments, underpinned by updates to the 3GPP 5G radio specifi­cations that incorporate non-terres­trial network (NTN) compatibility.