Automation, Governance and the Release 19 Shift in 5G NTN

As operators lay the groundwork for 5G NTN, automation is no longer just a capability – it is a design principle. With functions spanning satellite and terrestrial domains, the focus is shifting to how decisions can be consistently coordinated, governed and shared across operators once these networks are deployed.

Many existing operational models were designed around manual processes and operator-specific workflows. As those models are pushed into multi-operator, multi-orbit environments, their limits become apparent, said Willie Stegmann, executive vice president, composable IT and ecosystems at the global non-profit telecommunications industry association TM Forum.

“Legacy satellite networks rely heavily on manual workflows,” Stegmann said. “We can’t deal with manual ticketing, command scripts, operational silos. It needs to be automated, seamless, AI-enabled.”

Future non-terrestrial networks should be zero-touch by design, with hybrid-terrestrial-satellite operations orchestrated through open digital architectures that enable continuous automation, said Stegmann.

Building Self-Optimizing Constellations

Automation is essential for satellite networks to transition from isolated, operator-managed systems toward cohesive, AI-driven ecosystems, said Wayne Shaw, director for aerospace and defense at Frost & Sullivan, echoing Stegmann.

For example, AI-based schedulers can now reshuffle satellite tasks on the fly, using reinforcement learning to anticipate traffic and allocate resources in real time. In mega-constellations, that means higher mission value with less hands-on human control, said Shaw.

New metaheuristic techniques, like enhanced particle swarm optimization, can reshuffle resources as demand changes and still keep user satisfaction above 99.6%—a sharp contrast with older, mostly manual pass-planning methods that often left capacity on the table, Shaw said.

On the ground, predictive AI is increasingly automating station operations—scheduling passes, routing around bad weather, and coordinating multiple satellites—to cut downtime and unlock surge capacity for military, civil and commercial users alike, he added.

“AI is inseparable from modern network operations in our view,” said Stegmann, agreeing with Shaw, adding that AI permits dramatic improvements in beamforming, interference detection, traffic prediction, resilience and rerouting.

Coordinating Automated Networks

AI-driven techniques are increasingly central to managing crowded airwaves, said Shaw. Satellites now use AI and machine learning to choose frequencies in real time, safely reuse them, and limit interference.

But spectrum coordination sits at the crossroads of automation and governance, Stegmann noted. As networks evolve, efficient spectrum use will depend on a shared understanding of network conditions, rather than isolated optimization by individual operators. “Future spectrum efficiency will really depend on shared standardized telemetry across partners,” he said.

Without standardized telemetry, automated systems and AI-driven processes cannot manage spectrum use in a predictable way, Stegmann said. “We have to move to what we call policy-driven agility, where spectrum usage states and constraints are exposed by standard APIs,” he said.

Release 19 and Cross-Operator Alignment

The 3GPP Release 19 is positioned to accelerate industry-wide interoperability, but the introduction of additional NTN features is only part of the impact associated with Release 19, said Stegman. The larger effect is the pressure it places on cross-operator interoperability and coordination, he said.

“In a way, 3GPP Release 19 will be a catalyst,” he said. “We expect 3GPP Release 19 to really accelerate industry-wide interoperability.”

For example, Release 19’s support for regenerative NTN payloads and intersatellite links will enable more flexible multi-orbit constellations, which in turn will enhance mobility and resource coordination, said Frost & Sullivan’s Shaw.

In the wake of Release 19 enhancements, some operators are already preparing for cross-operator coordination by implementing frameworks and technologies that support multi-mission interoperability, including the integration of communications, Earth observation, PNT and defense capabilities, said Shaw.

This approach involves regulatory alignments, technical innovation and collaboration to mitigate interference, optimize resource sharing and preserve operational resilience, Shaw said.

Impact on NTN Operations of Key AI Capabilities

In fact, the benefits of Release 19 cannot be realized without multi-operator coordination, said Stegmann.

“What you do not want is bespoke IT work per satellite operator,” he said. “Because the reality is, a lot of the CSPs [communication service providers] will have relationships with multiple satellite operators. And if they have bespoke integrations with every satellite operator, I think it’s going to blow up complexity for CSPs.”

Cloud-native and software-defined systems provide the practical tools to realize this vision, Stegmann said. “Without cloud-native programmable ground systems, hybrid networks cannot function as unified architectures,” he said.

In parallel, satellite networks are being rebuilt to support that kind of unified architecture, Shaw said. AI‑driven analytics are positioning non‑terrestrial networks for 6G, making operations more autonomous and efficient while tackling scale and sustainability, with future “AI‑native” open RAN expected to build on those gains, he said.

At the same time, operators are turning to cloud‑native, virtualized, software‑defined infrastructures so satellite ground segments, core networks and RAN elements run as software rather than fixed hardware, he said. By hosting these functions on public or private clouds, they can roll out NTN components on standard or “as‑a‑service” platforms, scale capacity on demand for mega‑constellations and fluctuating traffic, and push over‑the‑air software and firmware updates instead of doing hardware swaps, all while staying aligned with emerging 5G/6G standards and integrating more tightly with terrestrial networks, Shaw said.

Defining Rules for Scalable Automation

Satellite operators are laying the groundwork for large‑scale, cross‑operator coordination in an increasingly crowded space and spectrum environment, said Shaw. They’re developing common standards and protocols for spectrum operations and orbit coordination, deploying AI‑enabled dynamic spectrum management and open RF architectures to share resources across missions and tightening regulatory and collaborative arrangements with agencies, astronomers and defense partners, Shaw said. At the same time, they’re adapting system engineering and conjunction assessment practices to support multi-mission, multi-domain operations as mega‑constellations scale up, he said.

Aided by virtualized architectures, operators are preparing for federated API’s, shared service-level models, standardized settlement flows and unified security and identity frameworks that allow automated processes to span multiple satellite and terrestrial networks, Stegmann noted.

“We believe that we’ve seen the end of proprietary satellite stacks. We think that interoperability is going to be an essential requirement,” said Stegmann. “The future clearly is three things: It’s open, it’s modular, it’s automated.”

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