August 11, 2026
In today’s connectivity ecosystem, multiple wireless networks operate side by side, from terrestrial cell towers to satellites in orbit and airborne platforms such as UAVs.
Terrestrial (TN) and non-terrestrial networks (NTN) are increasingly being integrated to enable more seamless and resilient connectivity. Satellites can extend coverage where terrestrial networks are unavailable, such as in remote areas or after natural disasters, reducing resilience on a single network layer.
As TN and NTN become more tightly integrated, advanced system-level simulation plays a key role in understanding performance, coexistence, and design trade-offs.
The radio frequency spectrum represents the range of electromagnetic waves used to transmit data. Different technologies use different frequency bands depending on their purpose: lower frequencies offer wider coverage, while higher frequencies support faster data rates over shorter distances.
Both TN and NTN systems operate across this spectrum. For example, 5G uses frequencies from around 400 MHz to 7 GHz, while 5G mmWave operates between 24 and 40 GHz. Satellite systems use bands such as L, S, C, X, Ku, and Ka, ranging from 1-2 GHZ (L-band) up to 26-40 GHZ (Ka-band). They support services from navigation and critical communications to high-speed internet.
As these systems often operate in overlapping frequencies, ensuring seamless coexistence is a key challenge. Without proper coordination, interference can degrade performance, reduce quality of service, and disrupt communication.
Addressing interference requires effective spectrum management and coexistence strategies. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) coordinates global spectrum use and organizations planning satellite launches must submit filings to avoid interfering with existing networks.
To mitigate interference, techniques such as frequency hopping, beamforming, and advanced spectrum sharing are used. Evaluating how these approaches perform in real-world, multi-layer network scenarios is complex and often requires advanced system-level analysis and simulation.
Rather than operating separately, TN and NTN are increasingly designed to work together. The 3GPP’s standardization work is driving this shift, where support for non-terrestrial networks has become an extension of 5G.
Terrestrial networks provide high-capacity coverage in populated areas, while non-terrestrial systems such as satellites extend connectivity to remote and hard-to-reach environments. Together, they close global coverage gaps and provide resilience where terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable – for example, due to natural disasters or cyberattacks. The satellite layer ensures that communication can continue despite the terrestrial network being compromised.
Growing TN/NTN integration is also shaping future network design principles – such as for 6G, where unified TN/NTN architectures are being considered from the outset. Concepts are already being explored in international initiatives such as NexaSphere and 6G-NTN.
However, making these network layers work smoothly together is highly complex. It requires careful evaluation of interference, mobility, latency, information exchange among devices, gateways, and base stations, and overall system performance.
Magister has deep expertise in TN/NTN connectivity, coexistence, and integration, built on research experience and the development of advanced system-level simulators. Backed by a strong foundation in mobile network research and experience in European Space Agency projects, we support the design and understanding of both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks – and increasingly, how they operate together.
For example, in the 5G-SPECTRA project, we developed simulation tools for analyzing adjacent channel interference in TN/NTN scenarios. In NexaSphere, Magister is leading the simulation and performance validation for unified TN/NTN networks in the context of future 6G systems and applications in automotive, aviation, and railway. In the HELENA project, we collaborated with various satellite industry players to support NTN standard enhancements, focusing on new use cases, improved service performance, and 5G TN/NTN mobility.
Reliable analysis of interference and coexistence is critical in the satellite and telecommunications industry. Satellite systems cannot be deployed if they interfere with existing networks, and regulatory processes such as spectrum filings place strict requirements on performance.
Magister’s simulators make it possible to evaluate coexistence scenarios early, supporting design choices and regulatory processes such as spectrum filings. This provides critical insights for decision-making and supports the development of compliant and efficient systems. For example, customers can assess different interference mitigation strategies, including beamforming and spectrum sharing approaches.
By modeling realistic scenarios across frequency bands, devices, environments, and use cases, our tools make it possible to evaluate coexistence, optimize network performance, and design solutions that fully leverage the strengths of both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.
Accelerating the future of wireless system development today with system-level digital twins and detailed simulations.
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Business ID: 1998796-8
VAT number: FI19987968
info(at)magister.fi
