The Global Certification Forum (GCF) is adding support for satellite communications and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) to its device certification programme.

With the adoption of standards-based satellite connectivity in the communications industry, manufacturers can certify their devices to be directly connected to different satellite operators. This is helping enable the rapid introduction in the market of satellite-connected devices with assured interoperability.

3GPP NTN NB-IoT and eMTC technology is being included in the GCF Certification Criteria, allowing devices to certify compliance with release 17 of the 3GPP standard.

“With this new certification programme, GCF is supporting the deployment of NTN and satellite communications worldwide,” said Lars Nielsen, CEO of GCF. “Satellite reaches areas where terrestrial coverage cannot go, for technical or commercial reasons, thus widening access around the globe.”

Isabelle Mauro, director general of the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA, at gsoasatellite.com), added: “By facilitating certification for a large number of device manufacturers and models, GCF is leading the way, helping satellite operators set the stage for placing NTN-capable devices on the market. Activation of an industry-wide certification programme is a great achievement towards this goal.”

And Marco Guadalupi, CTO at Sateliot (sateliot.space), said: “We are delighted to have been the pioneering standards-based satellite operator joining GCF, paving the way for the realisation of interoperable, 3GPP standards-based cellular NTN access.”

GCF certification starts with support for 3GPP release 17 NBN NB-IoT and eMTC. Additionally, 5G NR and evolution to NTN NB-IoT 3GPP release 18 are also being developed within the forum. GCF, as a supporter of 5G, is committed to delivering a certification programme for almost every 5G technology that is being standardised at 3GPP.

With the first commercial NTN devices already hitting the market, GCF certification for NTN comes at the right moment and will be activated with the publication of the next release of GCF Certification Criteria in February 2024.

NBN NB-IoT is an IoT-focused technology, designed for supporting messaging and narrow band use cases, and to complement existing terrestrial communications in many applications.

By combining conformance and interoperability tests undertaken in laboratories with field trials on multiple commercial networks, GCF certification verifies the quality of the interoperability of wireless devices with different network elements, vendors’ infrastructure and other services. GCF certifies hundreds of different device models each year.

For 25 years the GCF (www.globalcertificationforum.org) has been facilitating interoperable devices, networks and services, enabling reliable and secure wireless communications. GCF covers 5G NR, LTE, cellular IoT (NB-IoT and eMTC), eSIM and legacy technologies. GCF has over 350 members, including major and smaller operators and service providers, all major device and IoT manufacturers, and the test industry, working together with industry partners on certification programmes.