To address the increasing complexity of validating standardized satellite connectivity, Gatehouse Satcom and Rohde & Schwarz announced a formalized collaboration on Monday, April 27, 2026. The partnership aims to strengthen the validation and testing methodologies for 5G IoT-NTN (Internet of Things) and NR-NTN (New Radio) technologies as the market transitions from theoretical 3GPP specifications toward large-scale orbital deployment.
Accelerating the Lab-to-Orbit Pipeline
The collaboration focuses on creating more realistic and repeatable laboratory environments to simulate the unique physical challenges of non-terrestrial networks (NTN), such as extreme Doppler shifts and signal latency in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This initiative follows the Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days held in mid-April, where the industry prioritized the need for scalable, end-to-end testing to keep pace with accelerated constellation development cycles.
By integrating Gatehouse Satcom’s 5G NTN software stacks with Rohde & Schwarz’s high-precision measurement hardware, the two companies intend to reduce technical uncertainty and shorten time-to-market for satellite operators and terminal manufacturers.
Technical Integration: The CMX500 Platform
As a central part of the agreement, Gatehouse Satcom will utilize the Rohde & Schwarz CMX500 radio communication tester to develop advanced orbit and channel emulation capabilities.
Key technical features of the collaboration include:
- Channel Emulation: Development of more accurate satellite radio channel models that account for multi-orbit dynamics (GEO, MEO, and LEO).
- Interoperability Testing: Validation of 5G NTN behavior across disparate network scenarios to ensure seamless handovers and link stability.
- Feedback Loop: Gatehouse Satcom will contribute end-to-end NTN test results and engineering feedback to help refine Rohde & Schwarz’s future NTN-focused instrumentation.
Executive Perspectives: Industry Standards
“Our collaboration with Rohde & Schwarz marks an important step toward more standardized and repeatable 5G NTN validation. As one of the early companies working hands-on with NTN software, we see a clear need for more realistic and reliable testing environments as the industry moves closer to deployment. This collaboration helps strengthen exactly that foundation—not only for us, but for the broader NTN ecosystem.” — Peter Mariager, VP 5G Technology at Gatehouse Satcom.
“As the satellite sector converges on standardized, 3GPP-based solutions, close collaboration between software innovators and test-equipment specialists is essential. This partnership not only strengthens the tools and insights needed for today’s 5G NTN rollout but also lays a solid foundation for future 6G NTN testing and validation.” — Christian Dobmeier, Director of Product Group CMX500 at Rohde & Schwarz.
Strategic Roadmap
The partnership is expected to drive faster validation cycles by identifying system-level issues earlier in the development process. As 5G NTN becomes a standard component of global telecommunications, both companies are positioning their joint solutions to support the eventual transition to 6G NTN, where even higher frequencies and more complex beam-forming will require advanced emulation capabilities.
