Taiwan's Largest Operators Position Multi-Orbit NTN at Heart of Future 6G Networks

Taiwan's two largest mobile operators, Chunghwa Telecom and Far EasTone, have signalled that multi-orbit satellite integration will form a foundational element of their future 6G architectures, positioning non-terrestrial networks (NTN) as core network infrastructure rather than simply a coverage extension.

The announcement came during the inaugural 6G Summit Taipei, where both operators outlined plans to integrate Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite systems with terrestrial mobile networks as part of next-generation communications platforms.

Rather than viewing individual satellite constellations as standalone services, both operators described 6G as a converged terrestrial and non-terrestrial network.

Chunghwa Telecom presented its multi-orbit satellite platform as a "sea-land-satellite-air" architecture designed to provide multiple layers of communications resilience. The operator combines GEO, MEO and LEO satellite systems alongside terrestrial mobile infrastructure, enabling traffic to be routed across different orbital layers depending on application requirements and network availability.

Far EasTone presented a similar vision, arguing that future 6G networks require terrestrial-satellite convergence rather than reliance on a single orbital layer. The operator highlighted the complementary characteristics of LEO and GEO systems, with lower-latency LEO networks supporting interactive applications while GEO continues to provide wide-area resilience and stable coverage.

The announcements indicate that Taiwan's operators increasingly view multi-orbit integration as an architectural requirement for 6G rather than a future enhancement. A strategy which closely aligns with the continuing evolution of 3GPP's NTN standards.

Release 17 introduced the first standardised support for satellite-based IoT and NR-NTN, while Release 18 expanded support for additional frequency bands and improved mobility. Release 19 is adding more advanced mobility features, including enhanced satellite handover capabilities designed for large LEO constellations.

By committing to multi-orbit architectures before Release 20 defines key aspects of 6G, Taiwan's operators are effectively signalling that NTN will be embedded into future network design from the outset.

Chunghwa Telecom has been one of the industry's most active operators in 5G NTN development. The company leads work on 3GPP NR NTN in Ku-band and earlier demonstrated what it described as the world's first two-way 5G NR NTN satellite video call using its ST-2 satellite and Yangmingshan satellite gateway.

The operator already operates commercial services across GEO, MEO and LEO systems, following approval for commercial SES O3b MEO services, giving it practical experience operating multiple orbital layers within a single communications platform.