ALifecom Launches the Latest Non-Terrestrial Networks IoT Platform for Satellite Communication UE Testing

Industry-leading one-stop signaling solution embedding the channel emulator directly with the network emulator

TAIPEI, March 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ALifecom announces the release of its Non-Terrestrial Networks IoT Platform at SATELLITE 2024 in Washington, D.C. This platform is the industry's first integrated solution embedding a channel emulator into ALifecom's NE6000 network emulator to effectively simulate and test NTN communications within a small formfactor, user-friendly, and cost-effective solution.

The ALifecom NE6000 network emulator has been upgraded with the latest 3GPP release 17 standards to support NB-IoT communication over non-terrestrial networks. The NE6000 combines an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), evolved NodeB (eNB), and an integrated channel emulator that accurately replicates real-world signal propagation conditions for comprehensive testing and validation of IoT-NTN devices.

The NE6000 IoT-NTN network emulator is a versatile platform, meticulously crafted to serve various purposes including academic research, early R&D, functional testing and verification, and Proof-of-Concept demonstrations. Its flexibility extends to facilitating the verification and measurement of user terminal product designs, RF transmit/receive functionalities, performance metrics, and run-time behavior post-connection to the NB-IoT NTN.

A user-friendly GUI and an integrated protocol analyzer enhance usability, facilitating diagnosis and troubleshooting. The NE6000 GUI offers users a simple and user-friendly interface, enabling quick setup and utilization. Within the GUI, essential NTN parameters such as ephemeris information, Feeder Link RTT, Service Link RTT, and UE band details are presented clearly, facilitating easy access, and understanding. The integrated protocol analyzer provides real-time diagnosis of protocol message handshakes between user terminals and base stations.

Overall, the ALifecom NE6000 IoT-NTN network emulator offers a comprehensive and cost-effective solution tailored to the needs of researchers, developers, and engineers in the IoT-NTN domain.

"We are very excited to be able to support the Satellite communications market with a user-friendly, small formfactor, and cost-effective solution. With the release of the IoT-NTN platform, we hope to accelerate the development of new IoT-NTN communication devices that in turn will grow the connected world," said Max Lin, CEO of ALifecom.

The NE6000 IoT-NTN Network Emulator is available for orders and can be delivered as new hardware or upgrade to existing NE6000 hardware. Contact the ALifecom sales team on sales@alifecom.com or reach out to your local distributor to learn more.