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The NTN Forum

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Created by ESA’s Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme, the Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) Forum provides a platform for all stakeholders to foster collective actions towards the harmonious, non-discriminatory and market-driven development and implementation of NTN solutions – for 5G and 6G systems and related services.

There was a need to create an inclusive platform that encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and collective efforts among a variety of industrial and academic stakeholders to promote the integration of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) in the evolving 5G Advanced and 6G networks.

To achieve this, we have introduced the NTN Forum. Its objectives are to:

  • Bring together stakeholders
  • Identify suitable use cases
  • Overcome barriers and challenges
  • Develop implementation frameworks
  • Advocate, cooperate and promote
  • Support interoperability and certification

ESA has played a crucial role in supporting 5G standardisation activities, providing input, and advocating for positions that benefit the satellite communication sector within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standardisation process. ESA’s active involvement has been instrumental in driving the development of standards that align with the specific needs and advancements of NTN technologies. With the successful inclusion of NTNs in the 3GPP standardisation, this is only the beginning of the journey towards 6G. NTNs design and deployment are perceived as the priority area for international and national telecommunications initiatives across the world.

We are committed to partnering and engaging with all players across satellite, terrestrial and vertical segments domains; commercial entities, operators, service providers and industry providing technological solutions.

The NTN Forum aims to harness the expertise and resources of a diverse group of stakeholders, including space companies, telecommunications providers, technology developers, and other relevant industry players. By fostering collaboration and collective action, the Forum aims to drive the integration of NTN in 5G and 6G networks, opening new possibilities and generating tangible industrial opportunities for all participants.

The NTN Forum is a not-for-profit organisation committed to providing a collaborative framework for relevant stakeholders to implement NTN solutions for 5G and beyond in a harmonious, reasonable, non-discriminatory, and market-driven manner. The Forum aims to foster cooperation among diverse industry players and drive the widespread adoption of NTN-based technologies to meet the evolving needs of various sectors..

Programme features

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NTN Forum Organisation Rules
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NTN Forum Terms & Conditions

Why join

Participation in the NTN Forum is free of charge and entails no exchange of funds for any purpose. All costs for participation are at the own cost of each participant and will not be reimbursed by ESA.

180

Institutions registered

38

Countries represented

The NTN Forum seeks to:

Bring together the perspectives of all interested stakeholders.
Improve mutual understanding and collaboration between of all interested stakeholders in NTN design and deployment.
Foster common understanding and ranking on potential future NTN standardisation activities in 3GPP and/or other standardisation bodies such ETSI, IEFT, among others.
Create awareness of NTN related standards and how these respond to the needs of end users and verticals.
Facilitate interactions and discussions on NTN topics important for verticals.
Develop recipes for reference 5G/5G Advanced/6G NTN systems and features.
Consolidate multiple verticals use cases and related NTN requirements.
Facilitate interactions between NTN/TN experimentations groups.
Facilitate interactions between NTN focused R&D activities.
Create awareness about test, experimentations and demonstration opportunities for NTN ground, space assets and services.
Sandboxes for NTN services features and testing reference tools where such tools are not available.
Create awareness on NTN devices support from satellite stakeholders and the associated end users including verticals.
Promote development of devices ecosystems for different NTN deployments, such as for GSO, NGSO and multi-orbit.
Promote involvement in devices related standards and industry initiatives such as 3GPP, GSMA TSG and GCF.
Graph showing the geographical distribution of companies (global). Data correct as of April 2025. Image credit: ESA

Who can join

The NTN Forum is open to all, whether the stakeholder is from an ESA Member State, Associate Member State, Cooperating State, or a non-ESA Member State. In particular, we welcome:

Satellite operators

Physical and virtual

satellite network operators

Satellite system integrators

Satellite services providers

Vertical representatives

Devices and chipset manufacturers

Satellite technology providers

Mobile network operators (physical/virtual)

Telecom equipment manufacturers

Terrestrial technology equipment manufacturers

Cloud providers

Software developers

Research and development (R&D) organisations

Universities

Regulators

Policy makers

Any company or organisation looking to contribute to NTN activities

The NTN Forum gathers institutions from nearly 40 countries, all working in satellite and terrestrial telecommunications industries, service providers, technology providers, R&D institutions, universities, as well as representatives of vertical sectors, associations and public authorities.

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Bringing together stakeholders

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By creating a collaborative platform, the Forum facilitates a holistic approach to developing NTN solutions for 5G/6G and enables diverse perspectives to be considered, ensuring comprehensive and well-rounded outcomes.

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Collaborative efforts across four specialized working groups

How the forum is organised

The NTN Forum is organised around a General Assembly, Steering Board and Working Groups.

Organisation and work groups

+180 companies and institutions

Members

Our members of the NTN Forum can be found below. The list is continually updated, so please check back for further information about our community.

5G-MAG
Aalyria
aerospacelab
Airbus Defence and Space
Aldorane
Amazon
Amphinicy Technologies
antennaPRO Ltd
Apple
Archangel Lightworks
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)
ASI – Italian Space Agency
ASTRID NV 
Azcom Technology
BeaconWatch
BELSPO – Belgian Science Policy Office
BT – Openreach
Business Finland
Cactus-Now
Capgemini

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CONTACT

Antonio Franchi

ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT)

Fermi Avenue

Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FD, United Kingdom

+44 (0)7775 426521

Antonio.Franchi@esa.int

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