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The Satellite Power Struggle: Why Operators Are Pushing Back Against Third-Party NTN Dominance

For years, the satellite connectivity space has been largely carved out by specialized players — SpaceX’s Starlink, OneWeb, and other low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation operators have dominated headlines and captured lucrative enterprise and consumer contracts. But mobile network operators (MNOs) are now signaling a clear intent to wrestle back control of the non-terrestrial network (NTN) narrative, according to new research from GSMA Intelligence. The message from the world’s largest telecom operators is unambiguous: satellite connectivity is too strategically important to leave in someone else’s hands.

The GSMA Intelligence report paints a picture of an industry at an inflection point, where terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks are converging faster than many anticipated, and where operators that fail to assert ownership over the satellite layer risk being marginalized in their own value chains.

What “Greater Control” Actually Means for MNOs

When GSMA Intelligence talks about operators seeking greater control over NTN, the term encompasses several distinct but interrelated dimensions. First, there’s the spectrum angle — operators want NTN deployments to utilize licensed spectrum they already hold, ensuring seamless integration with existing 5G New Radio (NR) frameworks rather than operating on separate, siloed frequencies managed by satellite vendors. The 3GPP standardization work on 5G NTN, particularly Releases 17 and 18, has already laid significant groundwork here, enabling direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communication using standard 5G protocols.

Second, operators are increasingly focused on SIM-based authentication and subscription management for satellite services. Rather than having subscribers sign up for separate satellite plans through third-party providers, MNOs want NTN connectivity delivered transparently under their existing SIM and eSIM frameworks, maintaining control over the customer relationship, billing, and quality of service guarantees.

Third — and perhaps most critically from a network architecture standpoint — operators are pushing for tighter integration between NTN and their core network infrastructure, including their 5G standalone (SA) core deployments. This means ensuring that satellite backhaul, IoT connectivity, and direct-to-device services flow through operator-managed network functions rather than bypassing them entirely.

The 3GPP Foundation: Standards as a Tool for Operator Empowerment

The standardization machinery of 3GPP has become a primary battleground in this struggle. With Release 17 formally introducing NTN support into the 5G standard — covering both geostationary (GEO) and non-geostationary (NGSO) orbit satellites — operators now have a technical framework that positions them as legitimate architects of satellite services rather than mere resellers.

Release 18 expands on this further, refining NTN capabilities for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) scenarios and improving handover mechanisms between terrestrial and non-terrestrial segments. Looking ahead, Release 19 is expected to address more advanced hybrid NTN-terrestrial architectures, which will be crucial for operators wanting to offer seamless coverage continuity across urban, suburban, and remote geographies.

This standards-driven approach gives operators leverage they simply didn’t have when satellite connectivity was an entirely separate technological silo. By anchoring NTN within 5G NR standards, MNOs can deploy integrated solutions that leverage existing infrastructure investments and operational expertise.

Market Drivers: Why This Shift Is Happening Now

Several converging market forces are accelerating the operator push for NTN control. The explosion of IoT applications in agriculture, maritime, logistics, and utilities has created massive demand for ubiquitous connectivity that terrestrial networks alone cannot satisfy. Meanwhile, regulatory pressure in multiple markets is mandating broader rural and remote coverage — commitments that operators cannot meet without satellite augmentation.

At the same time, the direct-to-device satellite market is heating up rapidly. Apple’s satellite emergency SOS partnership with Globalstar, T-Mobile and SpaceX’s beta service for SMS connectivity in dead zones, and AST SpaceMobile’s broadband ambitions have all demonstrated consumer appetite for satellite-augmented mobile services. Operators watching these developments understand that if they don’t assert control over NTN delivery, handset manufacturers and satellite operators will happily establish direct consumer relationships that cut MNOs out entirely.

Challenges on the Road to Operator-Led NTN

Despite the strategic clarity operators are projecting, significant hurdles remain. Building or acquiring satellite infrastructure is capital-intensive in a way that even tier-one operators approach cautiously. Spectrum coordination between terrestrial and satellite systems remains technically complex, particularly in bands like Ka, Ku, and S-band where interference management is non-trivial. Latency characteristics of LEO satellites, while dramatically improved over GEO systems — typically 20–40ms versus 600ms+ — still present challenges for certain real-time applications.

Regulatory fragmentation across jurisdictions also complicates global NTN deployment strategies, as satellite operations inherently cross national boundaries in ways that terrestrial deployments do not.

Industry Outlook: A Hybrid Future, Operator-Defined

The GSMA Intelligence findings reflect a broader industry consensus that NTN is not a competitor to terrestrial 5G but rather its essential complement. The question is not whether satellite and ground-based networks will integrate — that outcome appears inevitable — but who will govern that integration and capture the associated value.

Operators are placing their bet on a future where they sit at the center of that hybrid architecture, leveraging 3GPP standards, existing spectrum assets, and deep customer relationships to define the NTN experience. Whether that ambition translates into concrete infrastructure ownership, strategic wholesale partnerships, or a more nuanced combination of both will vary by operator size and geography. But the directional intent is clear: the satellite frontier is too valuable to cede, and mobile operators are increasingly prepared to fight for their place in it.