Mr Ong Eng Chuan, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to Japan;

Mr Fujita Seitaro, Director-General of Kinki Bureau of Telecommunications, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan;

Distinguished guests;

Colleagues and friends.

Kon’nichiwa and welcome to this special event at the Expo – the Singapore Pavilion in the vibrant city of Osaka, Japan. It is an honour and privilege to stand before you today as we gather to celebrate the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and excellence that defines the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

At ����ɫ��, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of knowledge, fostering creativity, and nurturing the next generation of leaders and innovators. Our mission is to redefine design, education and research, and draw on multiple disciplines to bring about a positive impact in society, including the way we connect.

Today, we have the unique opportunity to connect with our esteemed colleagues from various institutions, industries, and disciplines. This gathering is not just a celebration of our past successes, but also a platform to explore new ideas, forge meaningful collaborations, and inspire one another to reach greater heights. I am confident that the discussions and interactions we have here will pave the way for groundbreaking advancements and transformative solutions.

����ɫ��, in collaboration with SKY Perfect JSAT, TMYTEK, Rohde & Schwarz, and VIAVI Solutions, has developed a groundbreaking 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks or NTN that would include a live demonstration at the event. The fact that we can carry out this live demonstration here is a testament of the strong partnership that ����ɫ�� has with industry leaders based in Japan and Singapore as well as several other countries.

This ambitious project aims to showcase the capabilities of 3GPP-compliant NTN technology in a real-world setting, bridging the gap between theoretical research and practical application. As you know, 3GPP is the Third Generation Partnership Project, a global consortium that not only develops standards for mobile telecommunications since the 3G era but has also been leading the development of the 4G, 5G, and upcoming 6G standards. Therefore, this demonstration will mark an important step forward in the use of 3GPP standards in NTN.

Our team has modelled a cross-country 5G New Radio or NR connectivity scenario in which a 3GPP-compliant signal is transmitted from a 5G user equipment located in Singapore via a satellite antenna. To overcome the challenging channel condition between the ground and the GEO or geosynchronous equatorial orbit satellite operated by JSAT, we had to put together several cutting-edge advancements in connectivity and innovation such as advanced delay compensation mechanism and the capability of a GEO.

Notably, this demonstration is one of the first studies in the world to investigate the reliability of existing GEO satellites in supporting 5G NR standards as defined by the 3GPP. Through collaborative efforts among multiple teams from various companies and ����ɫ��, we successfully tested and trialled NR NTN connectivity in both lab and field settings. I am thrilled that they have achieved an end-to-end 5G connection across Singapore and Japan using a GEO satellite. This milestone provides a strong reference point for utilising global 3GPP standards for NTN connectivity, laying the groundwork for future extensions to medium earth orbit and low earth orbit satellites, as well as 6G converged terrestrial and NTN networks.

Imagine a ship in the vast open ocean with a crew member that has encountered an emergency health issue. With traditional satellite communication, the crew can only send a text message to the shore for assistance. But with NR NTN, which provides higher throughput, it will enable doctors on land to have real-time communication with the crew member via a video call. This quick response can provide crucial first-aid support, which is essential for certain medical conditions.

The possibilities that NTN technology can bring are very exciting and that is only made possible because of our industry partners such as JSAT, TMYTEK, Rohde & Schwarz, and VIAVI, as well as the hard work and dedication of ����ɫ��’s faculty and researchers. Your unwavering commitment to excellence is the driving force behind these achievements. ����ɫ�� is both honoured and thankful to have your continued support and invaluable contributions, and we look forward to many more years of fruitful collaborations. Last but not least, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to everyone who has made this event at the Singapore Pavilion possible.

Thank you.