Keysight Technologies has accelerated the commercialization of Direct-to-Cell based on 3GPP Release 19, leading a paradigm shift in global communications infrastructure.

Keysight announced on the 20th that it successfully demonstrated an end-to-end live NR-NTN (New Radio-Non Terrestrial Networks) connection in the n252 band of the 3GPP Release 19 standard using Samsung Electronics' next-generation modem chipset at the recent CES 2026 event.

This demonstration is evaluated as a key achievement that will advance the commercialization of next-generation direct-to-cell satellite services by precisely reproducing the actual satellite environment and even implementing satellite-to-satellite (SAT-to-SAT) mobility.

This demonstration is particularly significant as it publicly validates the new band n252, which is expected to be applied to low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, on the NTN system.

With the successful demonstration of n252, following the existing n255 and n256 bands, end-to-end verification for the entire major NR-NTN FR1 band has been completed.

This means that in the future, modem vendors, satellite operators, and device manufacturers will have a foundation for comprehensively evaluating cross-band performance and mobility.

The demand for continuous and reliable global connectivity is rapidly growing across a wide range of sectors, including consumer devices, vehicles, IoT devices, and public safety communications.

Accordingly, telecommunication companies, device manufacturers, and satellite operators are expanding their investments in NTN technology.The demonstration is attracting attention as an example of the industry's tangible progress in securing direct-to-cell satellite coverage.

Keysight's NTN network emulator solution features realistic reproduction of multi-orbit LEO environments, inter-satellite mobility, and end-to-end routing.

This enables real-time user application operation based on NTN links, and when combined with Samsung Electronics modem chipsets, provides a high-precision test environment for verifying user performance, interoperability, and standard compliance.

This environment is expected to reduce the risk of the NR-NTN solution, which is expected to be fully expanded in 2026, and contribute to shortening the pilot operation and commercialization schedule.

This demonstration marks one of the first implementations of a standards-based, real-world NTN connection by integrating Samsung Electronics' next-generation modem chipset with Keysight's NTN emulation portfolio.

In particular, by verifying end-to-end link performance, inter-satellite mobility, and multi-vendor interoperability, which are essential for large-scale NTN deployments, the technology maturity of the entire Direct-to-Cell ecosystem has been raised to the next level.

“Working with Samsung Electronics’ System LSI business unit, we have demonstrated a live NTN connection with real-world satellite-to-satellite mobility in the n252 band based on commercial-grade modem silicon,” said Peng Cao, vice president of Keysight’s wireless test group. “Completing validations for the n252, n255, and n256 bands will further accelerate the adoption of direct-to-cell satellite connectivity into mass-market devices.”

Additionally, “Keysight’s NTN emulation environment enables chipset and device manufacturers to demonstrate multi-satellite mobility, interoperability, and user performance in a controlled manner, enabling industry-leadingHe added, “We will accelerate the commercialization of the system.”

This achievement signals that the Direct-to-Cell satellite communications market is entering a full-fledged growth phase, and is expected to establish itself as a key technology that will lead a paradigm shift in the global communications infrastructure in the future.