Makuhari,Chiba, October 8, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) - Sharp Corporation's 5G NTN-Compatible LEO Satellite Communication User Terminal (*1) has been awarded the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Award at CEATEC AWARD 2025. This award recognizes outstanding technologies, products, and services that demonstrate high innovation among the submissions made by exhibitors at CEATEC 2025, taking place from October 14 (Tuesday) to 17 (Friday), 2025 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City.
LEO satellite communication enables high-quality connectivity in areas where cellular networks are unavailable, such as at sea, in mountainous regions, or in disaster-stricken zones. However, current satellite communication systems often rely on proprietary technologies, and the lack of standardized communication protocols remains a key challenge for widespread adoption.
Leveraging its expertise in miniaturization and communication technologies cultivated through smartphone development, Sharp is advancing the development of a user terminal compatible with 5G NTN communication. In February of this year, Sharp became the first in the world to successfully conduct a demonstration using a prototype terminal to connect with a LEO satellite via 5G NTN communication.
By applying widely adopted 5G technologies to LEO satellite communication, higher stability in network connectivity, reduction in size and weight of antenna components, and lower costs through component standardization with cellular communication can be realized. These advantages are expected to contribute significantly to the further growth of the satellite communication market. In the future, when satellite communication adopts the same 5G protocols as cellular networks, seamless switching between the two will become possible, enabling stable, high-speed, and high-capacity communication under diverse environmental conditions.
Furthermore, incorporating advanced technologies used in 5G—such as network slicing (*2)—into satellite communication will support the development of infrastructure for large-volume data transmission and meet diverse communication needs, including low-latency applications like autonomous driving and remote equipment control.
Sharp will continue to accelerate development toward the early commercialization of its 5G NTN-compatible LEO satellite communication user terminal.
- Award Details: Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Award for the 5G NTN-Compatible LEO Satellite Communication User Terminal
- Exhibition Location: Makuhari Messe, General Exhibits Area, Hall 3, Booth No. 3H223
CEATEC 2025 Company Online Site: https://corporate.jp.sharp/ceatec/
*1 A terminal integrating LEO satellite communication antenna and modem functions. LEO stands for Low Earth Orbit.
*2 A technology that virtually partitions networks based on application-specific requirements.
- This development has been funded by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) (JP012368G50501).