New Delhi: Keysight Technologies and KT SAT have successfully demonstrated the industry’s first multi-orbit handover between a geostationary (GEO) satellite and a low Earth orbit (LEO) link using Ku-band frequencies. The trial, conducted at KT SAT’s Kumsan Satellite Network Operation Center in Korea, involved the KOREASAT-6A satellite and an emulated LEO connection, marking a key step in non-terrestrial network (NTN) mobility testing under the 3GPP Release-19 standard.
In a controlled lab environment, the teams emulated both base station and user equipment, establishing a two-way GEO link (DL ~12.3 GHz / UL ~14.4 GHz) and maintaining service continuity during the handover to the emulated LEO connection. This experiment allowed the companies to study the effects of propagation delays, Doppler shifts, and dynamic link conditions that are typical in satellite networks, while validating multi-orbit mobility strategies in Ku-band spectrum critical for emerging 6G and NTN deployments.
The demonstration extends beyond earlier single-orbit GEO tests, providing insights into continuous satellite-terrestrial integration, which is essential for maintaining connectivity in remote or disaster-affected regions. By conducting these trials in a lab setting, KT SAT and Keysight have enabled earlier assessment of device interoperability, mobility behavior, and network performance without relying solely on expensive field trials.
Seo Young-soo, CEO of KT SAT, noted that the trial helps explore next-generation GEO satellite capabilities and multi-orbit NTN services. Peng Cao, Vice President at Keysight, highlighted that the work provides operators and vendors practical insights into optimizing NTN handover strategies and accelerating early deployment planning.
The research demonstrates how multi-orbit satellite integration can improve network resilience and coverage, offering operators and vendors data-driven insights that could guide standards development and future commercial NTN services. The test represents a methodical approach to understanding and validating multi-orbit satellite mobility before widespread deployment.
