What does the NTN 3GPP book cover?

The definitive 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks guide. 96 chapters across 19 Parts. NR-NTN + NB-IoT-NTN profiles, full architecture (transparent + regenerative payloads, CU/DU/RU split, 5GC SBA), the entire physical layer (SIB19, K-offset, expanded TA, Doppler pre-compensation, PRACH for NTN, HARQ disable), all procedures (initial access, registration, handover, idle mode), operator landscape (AST, Starlink, Sateliot), and 6 appendices including a 50-question self-test.

Is the book based on official 3GPP specifications?

Yes. Every chapter cites the underlying 3GPP TS or TR — TR 38.811, TR 38.821, TS 38.300, TS 38.211, TS 38.213, TS 38.331, TS 24.501, TS 23.501, TS 33.501 and many more. The book is built on Release 17 freeze (March 2022) with Release 18 enhancements and Release 19 regenerative additions where normative.

Can I preview the book before buying?

Yes. Free preview at https://cafetele.com/ntn-book/reader.html — the Welcome page, Preface, and first few chapters are open.

How do I get the book after purchase?

Instant access. After payment via Razorpay (cards, UPI, net banking, international cards), the book unlocks immediately at the reader URL. Lifetime access, no subscription.

Will I get future updates?

Yes — lifetime updates included. As 3GPP releases new Release 19/20 specifications and as the NTN industry evolves, the book is updated and you get the new content free.

Who is this book for?

Cellular engineers learning NTN, satellite engineers learning 3GPP, technical managers building the strategic picture, students of modern wireless systems. The Read This First chapter has five reading paths — pick the one that matches your role.

Abhijeet Kumar — telecom engineer with deep RAN, optimization, and 3GPP standards expertise. Author of the CafeTele engineering book series and founder of cafetele.com.

New Release • May 2026

Non-Terrestrial Networks
in 3GPP
The Definitive 5G NTN Guide

Name: Non-Terrestrial Networks in 3GPP — The Definitive 5G NTN Engineer's Guide
Price: 3.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Abhijeet Kumar

From the cell tower to the satellite. The complete engineering reference to NR-NTN and NB-IoT-NTN — SIB19, K-offset, expanded TA, Doppler pre-compensation, satellite gNB architecture, and the entire Release 17/18/19 normative story.

By Abhijeet Kumar

CafeTele Publications

₹399 / $3.99 USD

One-time purchase • Instant access • Lifetime updates as Release 20 lands

Free Preview →

Chapters

155

Diagrams

332

Pages

Self-Test Q

May 2026

NTN in 3GPP

The Definitive 5G NTN Engineer’s Guide — NR-NTN, NB-IoT-NTN, SIB19, Satellite gNB, Release 17/18/19

NR-NTN NB-IoT-NTN SIB19 K-offset Doppler Sat gNB R-17/18/19

Abhijeet Kumar

CafeTele

What’s Inside

Comprehensive 5G NTN knowledge, every claim spec-cited — TR 38.811, TR 38.821, TS 38.300, 38.211, 38.331, 24.501, 23.501, 33.501

Complete NTN Architecture

Reference model, transparent vs regenerative payloads, gNB CU/DU/RU on satellite, all interfaces (Uu, SRI, F1, NG, ISL). The full picture.

SIB19 IE-by-IE

The IE that turns an NR cell into an NTN cell. epochTime, ephemerisInfo, cellSpecificKoffset, ta-Info, polarisation. ASN.1 walkthrough, full structure diagram.

NTN Physical Layer

K-offset, expanded TA range, Doppler pre-compensation, PRACH formats for NTN, RA-window up to 800 ms, HARQ disable bitmap. All the timing relaxations explained.

NB-IoT-NTN Deep Dive

The 180 kHz channel that closes a satellite link a 5 MHz NR-NTN one cannot. Repetition counts, link budget, eDRX, PSM, 10-year battery life.

Operator Landscape

AST SpaceMobile, Starlink Direct-to-Cell, Sateliot, OneWeb, Iridium, OQ Technology, Lacuna. Who’s doing what, with what constellation, and why.

Call Flows & Procedures

5G registration over satellite (5-lane diagram). PRACH 4-msg dance. CHO with NTN-geometric trigger. RLC AM timer scaling. 5G-AKA key hierarchy.

Kindle-Style Reader

Self-contained HTML. Continuous scroll, themed dark/sepia/ink modes, full-text search, bookmarks, page-counter, font-size controls. Works offline too.

50-Question Self-Test

Appendix F. 50 mixed-format questions (MC, true/false, short answer, calculation) across the whole book. Full answer key. Turns the book into a course.

Table of Contents — 19 Parts, 96 Chapters

Part I — Foundations

1. The Sky Above the Cell Tower 2. Orbits, Altitudes & Architectures 3. The Pre-3GPP Era

Part II — The 3GPP Journey

4. Study Phase — TR 38.811 / 38.821 5. Release 17 — Birth of NR-NTN 6. Release 17 — IoT-NTN 7. Release 18 — Enhancements 8. Release 19 — Regenerative & S&F

Part III — Architecture

9. The NTN Reference Model 10. Transparent vs Regenerative 11. Interfaces — SRI, NG, F1, ISL

Part IV — Physical Layer

12. Spectrum & Bands (n255, n256, Ka) 13. Numerology & Frame Structure 14. Doppler & Frequency Compensation 15. Link Budget Engineering 16. HARQ for Long RTT

Part V — Procedures

17. SIB19 — NTN System Information 18. GNSS, Ephemeris & UE Position 19. Timing Advance for NTN 20. Initial Access & Random Access 21. Registration & Authentication 22. Handover in Space 23. Idle Mode & Cell Reselection

Part VI — IoT over NTN

24. NB-IoT-NTN 25. eMTC-NTN (LTE-M over satellite)

Part VII — Core & Regulation

26. 5GC Considerations for NTN 27. PLMN, Country & Regulation

Part VIII — Deployments & Future

28. The Operator Landscape 29. Direct-to-Device 30. Release 20 & 6G NTN

Part IX — Channel Models

31. Atmospheric Effects 32. Multipath & Scintillation 33. Polarization & Faraday Rotation 34. Rain Fade Modeling (ITU-R P.618)

Part X — NR PHY Channels

35. SSB & Synchronization for NTN 36. PRACH for NTN 37. PDCCH & PDSCH for NTN 38. PUCCH & PUSCH for NTN 39. Reference Signals (DMRS, PT-RS, CSI-RS, SRS) 40. Beam Management & BWP

Part XI — Higher Layers

41. MAC — Scheduler, HARQ, MAC-CEs 42. RLC AM Tuning for NTN 43. PDCP, SDAP, QoS Flows 44. RRC State Machine 45. NAS State Machine & 5G-AKA

Part XII — Beam, Antenna, RF

46. Satellite Antenna Design 47. UE Antenna & Front-End 48. Power Control in NTN 49. MIMO & Polarization Diversity

Part XIII — Constellation & System

50. Constellation Design Patterns 51. Orbit Propagation & Ephemeris 52. GNSS Integration 53. Inter-Satellite Links

Part XIV — Advanced NTN

54. Network Slicing for NTN 55. Edge Computing In/Over Space 56. Security Architecture 57. Lawful Intercept & Regulatory

Part XV — Future

58. 6G NTN Vision 59. Cislunar & Lunar NTN 60. Software-Defined Satellites & AI/ML

Part XVI — NTN Operations

61. MCS & Link Adaptation 62. NB-IoT-NTN Narrowband Uplink 63. CHO Triggers 64. Beam-Hopping Schedules 65. NTN Charging Events 66. Test Methodology 67. Conformance & Certification 68. MVNO Models 69. KPIs & Measurement Campaigns 70. Multi-Connectivity TN+NTN

Part XVII — Visual Atlas

71-76. Geometry, Protocols, Architecture, PHY, Numbers, Spec Crosswalk

Part XVIII — Deep Architecture

77. 5GC Service-Based Architecture 78. gNodeB Internal Architecture (CU/DU/RU) 79. The Protocol Stack 80. IE-Level Walkthrough (RRC & NAS) 81. Service-Based Procedures

Part XIX — Deep Technical Reference

82. PRACH Preamble Formats 83. MCS Tables (Complete) 84. LDPC & Polar Coding 85. Resource Grid & Slot 86. PSS/SSS Generation 87. MAC Control Elements — Bit Layouts 88. RNTI Types & Uses 89. DRX, eDRX, PSM 90. 5G-AKA Key Hierarchy 91. SUCI / ECIES 92. PFCP (N4) Rules 93. NWDAF Analytics 94. Positioning over NTN 95. Discontinuous Coverage & S&F 96. Worked Numerical Examples

Appendices

A. 3GPP Spec Quick-Index B. ASN.1 NTN IE Glossary C. Acronyms (80+) D. NTN Band Tables E. Further Reading F. 50-Question Self-Test + Answer Key

Non-Terrestrial Networksin 3GPPThe Definitive 5G NTN Guide