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LG Electronics unveiled its advanced IoT-NTN technology during the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) conference in Paris, France, held from May 12 to 15. The company demonstrated real-time, uninterrupted voice communication between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, a milestone for future automotive connectivity.
At the heart of LG’s presentation was a live demonstration across the streets of Paris, where a test vehicle was equipped with next-generation Telematics Control Units (TCUs) powered by IoT-NTN technology. The highlight was a successful conversation-level voice communication session conducted while switching seamlessly between terrestrial networks (TN) and non-terrestrial networks (NTN), marking a first in real-world mobility trials.
IoT-NTN technology merges satellite communications with high-altitude platform stations to provide uninterrupted connectivity, even in regions where TN like 3G, 4G, or 5G are unavailable. This innovation is vital for enabling functions such as autonomous driving, vehicle tracking, remote operation, and emergency communications in challenging environments—ranging from remote deserts and oceans to mountainous terrains and disaster zones.
In a major breakthrough, LG has integrated AI-based voice compression into its IoT-NTN system, drastically reducing the size of voice messages. This overcomes prior limitations of satellite communication, which was largely restricted to basic text-based emergency messages. With this enhancement, the system now supports full two-way voice conversations, transmitting voice messages more than ten times faster than previous capabilities.
This allows users to press an emergency call button and describe their situation via voice without needing to type or navigate multiple steps, enhancing safety and response time during critical incidents.
To showcase this, LG created both TN and NTN zones in Paris and enabled visitors to send and receive voice messages between the two networks using an in-vehicle demo setup. Supporting this seamless communication is a new cloud-based service platform that bridges satellite and terrestrial networks, delivering an elevated and reliable user experience powered by IoT-NTN technology.
