Connecting Land and Space with Intelligence

*By Suman Chandra Sharma, Senior Director of Product Management, Mavenir

As the demand for global, resilient, and always-on connectivity grows, Mavenir views Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) not just as an extension of terrestrial 5G but as a critical enabler for future networks – including 6G. This blog summarizes Mavenir’s vision and product positioning, as presented at a recent IWPC Webinar – setting out Mavenir’s strategic direction and technological leadership in the fast-evolving space of NTN.

Watch the Webinar:

Traditional terrestrial networks have long faced connectivity limitations in remote, rural, maritime, and in-flight environments. Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) overcome these gaps by leveraging satellite constellations in LEO, MEO, and GEO orbits, delivering global coverage and disaster resilience. With regulatory drivers and 3GPP Releases now accelerating NTN standardization, global NTN revenues are expected to reach over $50 billion by 2032. From consumer broadband to IoT, aviation, maritime, and government services, NTN use cases are growing – and becoming increasingly compelling.

Mavenir is leading the charge to harness NTN capabilities with a standards-based, cloud-native NTN solution that supports both NB-IoT and NR NTN. The flexible solution architecture offers multiple split options (6.0, 7.2, and 8.0), integrates regenerative and transparent payloads, and is Open RAN-compliant—ensuring interoperability, scalability, and vendor independence.

AI and RIC: The Intelligence Behind NTN

One of the key differentiators of Mavenir’s NTN solution is its application of AI and the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) to tackle the unique operational challenges of satellite-based networks. Especially in LEO constellations—where frequent handovers and dynamic link conditions are the norm—traditional network management can struggle to keep up.

Mavenir is innovating within the near-real-time RIC use cases applicable for NTN to enable:

• Predictive mobility, proactively rerouting traffic based on satellite trajectory and link quality
• Seamless handovers to avoid disruptions in user sessions
• Dynamic functional split optimization, balancing processing between satellites and ground systems

AI technologies can further enhance these capabilities by analyzing traffic patterns, user behavior, and link characteristics to drive autonomous decisions in resource allocation, latency reduction, and power management. This not only ensures a better user experience but also extends satellite lifespan and minimizes operational overhead.

Pioneering Achievements and Future Plans

Earlier this year, Mavenir highlighted its industry-first O-RAN VoNB-IoT call in partnership with Terrestar, which paves the way for commercial NTN voice deployments in the U.S. and Canada by late 2025. Two landmark VoNB solutions are currently under development: one based on OTT platforms and another built on enhanced IMS frameworks, both optimized for low-latency and secure satellite voice communications.

Importantly for widespread deployment, Mavenir’s NTN solutions enable seamless integration by supporting standardized 3GPP interfaces, allowing roaming between terrestrial and satellite networks. This capability ensures uninterrupted connectivity for users in remote or underserved areas, with the NTN acting as an extension of the MNO’s network. Mavenir’s NTN solutions also support Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) over satellite, creating the opportunity to provide high-speed broadband connectivity in rural and hard-to-reach regions where traditional infrastructure is not viable. By leveraging standards-based 5G RAN and Core technologies, Mavenir enables FWA services through LEO, MEO, or GEO satellites, assuring low-latency, reliable access for residential, enterprise, and government users. This satellite-backed FWA offering is ideal for bridging the digital divide, supporting the provision of essential services – such as telemedicine, remote learning, and IoT applications – with consistent quality of service.

Looking ahead, Mavenir is actively shaping 3GPP Rel-18 and Rel-19 features such as mobility enhancements, network slicing, and NR NTN over higher frequency bands. The roadmap for these advanced features is well-aligned with the growing needs of IoT, autonomous mobility, emergency services, and edge AI—making NTN a foundational cornerstone for 6G.

Final Thoughts: Looking Ahead – The Road to 6G

Mavenir is transforming NTN from a future promise into a practical, intelligent solution for today’s connectivity challenges. By providing a robust, modular, and AI-driven architecture, Mavenir is enabling global operators and enterprises to extend the reach of their networks—from urban centers to the most remote parts of the planet.

With 5G Standalone deployments still maturing, Mavenir is laying the crucial groundwork for 6G by integrating the lessons learned to define more resilient, flexible, and intelligent NTN solutions. As AI, Open RAN, and regenerative payloads converge, Mavenir envisions a future where space-based connectivity is as seamless and reliable as terrestrial networks.