As satellite networks evolve toward more agile, software-defined architectures, the ground segment is undergoing a parallel transformation into a critical control layer for enabling seamless satellite/terrestrial integration. Andrew Cavalier, principal analyst for ABI Research, explains how virtualization, cloud-native infrastructure and AI-driven orchestration are reshaping the ground segment and determining the pace of 5G NTN deployment.
Q: How is the role of the ground segment evolving from traditional gateway infrastructure to a more dynamic, software-defined control layer, and what architectural changes are most critical to support satellite/terrestrial integration?
A: As satellite networks evolve towards more software-defined, agile systems in space, the parallel evolution of the ground segment away from fixed gateways toward more flexible, programmable orchestration layers is becoming critical. The ground segment is no longer a purely physical termination point, but a software layer that enables operators to mix different applications, waveforms, antennas and orchestration layers across different vendors. AI and machine-learning remain central in this evolution, unlocking capabilities like intelligent scheduling, predictive maintenance, anomaly detection and dynamic resource allocation at scale.
We can already see this shift happening commercially. ST Engineering iDirect’s Intuition platform, available since late 2025, uses cloud-native, microservices-based architecture that can reduce hardware requirements by up to 70%. iDirect also introduced a consumption-based service model, Intuition Unbound, which signals a broader shift from CAPEX-intensive infrastructure to OPEX-driven, on-demand microservices. On the 5G NTN front, Kratos Defense has been advancing has been advancing its OpenSpace software-defined ground system since 2025 with SES (formerly Intelsat) and was selected by JSAT in 2026 to develop and validate a 5G NTN ground system for APAC deployments using existing VSAT systems.
Q: To what extent will virtualization and cloud-native ground systems determine the success of NTN deployments, particularly when it comes to managing multi-orbit networks and seamless handover with terrestrial 5G networks?
A: As multi-orbit constellations proliferate, the complexity of managing multi-orbit, multi-waveform networks can’t be orchestrated in real time without software-defined control layers. Current bent-pipe (transparent) architectures place a heavier orchestration burden on the ground, while emerging regenerative payload architectures offload some of that complexity to the satellites themselves as parts of the gNodeB move onboard. Most near-term commercial deployments transparent, however, meaning cloud native ground systems are the most economically and operationally viable path forward for multi-orbit networks, as they can avoid the rigidity of dedicated orbit-specific hardware stacks.
The ground layer can also bridge legacy satellite waveforms and 5G core. LEO’s high velocity also introduces additional handover challenges, from Doppler-aware scheduling to pre-compensation, which is driving demand for predictive and AI-assisted handover approaches that cloud-native ground systems are best positioned to enable. The near-term bottleneck isn’t in the 3GPP standards, but in the ground segment’s ability to become a true software control layer that speaks to both satellite and 5G core across orbits.
Q: What are the biggest constraints in the ground segment today, and where should operators and vendors be prioritizing investment to enable NTN at commercial scale?
A: The biggest constraints aren’t technical but are structural. Legacy proprietary infrastructure, organizational silos between satellite and terrestrial operation, unresolved business models, fragmented spectrum harmonization across bands and the draw of vertically integrated close systems all remain real constraints. Vendors need to prioritize investing into open, software-defined orchestration layers that offer strong backward compatibility with legacy systems. Operators should also prioritize OSS/BSS convergence and consumption-based ground infrastructure models that let them scale NTN services without breaking the balance sheet on CAPEX-heavy builds before the revenue model is proven.
