Keysight and Samsung Demonstrate Live NR-NTN Connectivity in 3GPP Band n252 with Satellite-to-Satellite Mobility at CES 2026

Keysight  announced on January 8, 2026, the successful demonstration of an end-to-end live new radio non-terrestrial network (NR-NTN) connection in band n252, as specified in 3GPP Release 19. The demonstration, conducted in collaboration with Samsung Electronics and showcased at CES 2026, utilized Samsung’s next-generation modem chipset and included live satellite-to-satellite (SAT-to-SAT) mobility using commercial-grade modem silicon along with cross-vendor interoperability.

The achievement marks the public validation of band n252 in an NTN system. Band n252 is a new frequency band in the S-Band expected to be adopted by next-generation low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations for direct-to-cell satellite services.

With this demonstration in n252, alongside previous end-to-end NR-NTN validations in bands n255 and n256, all major NR-NTN FR1 bands have now been validated. This coverage supports modem vendors, satellite operators, and device manufacturers in evaluating cross-band performance and mobility as they prepare for commercial NTN deployments.

Keysight’s NTN Network Emulator Solutions were used to recreate realistic multi-orbit LEO conditions, enable SAT-to-SAT mobility, and support end-to-end routing while running live user applications over the NTN link. The integration with Samsung’s chipset allowed validation of user performa...