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Non-Terrestrial Networks for 6G: Integrated, Intelligent and Ubiquitous Connectivity

Muhammad Ali Jamshed, Aryan Kaushik, Miguel Dajer, Alessandro Guidotti, Fanny Parzysz, Eva Lagunas, Marco Di Renzo, Symeon Chatzinotas, Octavia A. Dobre

TL;DR

The paper tackles achieving universal, ubiquitous connectivity in the 6G era by integrating Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) with Terrestrial Networks (TN) under 3GPP guidance. It surveys the evolution of NTN standards from 4G smartphone satellite access to 5G-NTN and 6G-oriented extensions, and discusses advanced beamforming and AI approaches to enable seamless TN/NTN operation. Two use cases are demonstrated: airborne NTN connectivity using UAVs and NOMA with AI for energy efficiency, and LEO-satellite NTN with user-centric beamforming that yields substantial capacity gains, validating the practical viability of NTN integration. The findings underscore the importance of continued standardization, AI-enabled network automation, and sophisticated beamforming to realize 6G’s vision of intelligent, ubiquitous, and responsible connectivity.

Abstract

Universal connectivity has been part of past and current generations of wireless systems, but as we approach 6G, the subject of social responsibility is being built as a core component. Given the advent of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), reaching these goals will be much closer to realization than ever before. Owing to the benefits of NTN, the integration NTN and Terrestrial Networks (TN) is still infancy, where the past, the current and the future releases in the 3$^{\text{rd}}$ Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) provide guidelines to adopt a successfully co-existence/integration of TN and NTN. Therefore, in this article, we have illustrated through 3GPP guidelines, on how NTN and TN can effectively be integrated. Moreover, the role of beamforming and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms is highlighted to achieve this integration. Finally the usefulness of integrating NTN and TN is validated through experimental analysis.

Non-Terrestrial Networks for 6G: Integrated, Intelligent and Ubiquitous Connectivity

TL;DR

The paper tackles achieving universal, ubiquitous connectivity in the 6G era by integrating Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) with Terrestrial Networks (TN) under 3GPP guidance. It surveys the evolution of NTN standards from 4G smartphone satellite access to 5G-NTN and 6G-oriented extensions, and discusses advanced beamforming and AI approaches to enable seamless TN/NTN operation. Two use cases are demonstrated: airborne NTN connectivity using UAVs and NOMA with AI for energy efficiency, and LEO-satellite NTN with user-centric beamforming that yields substantial capacity gains, validating the practical viability of NTN integration. The findings underscore the importance of continued standardization, AI-enabled network automation, and sophisticated beamforming to realize 6G’s vision of intelligent, ubiquitous, and responsible connectivity.

Abstract

Universal connectivity has been part of past and current generations of wireless systems, but as we approach 6G, the subject of social responsibility is being built as a core component. Given the advent of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), reaching these goals will be much closer to realization than ever before. Owing to the benefits of NTN, the integration NTN and Terrestrial Networks (TN) is still infancy, where the past, the current and the future releases in the 3 Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) provide guidelines to adopt a successfully co-existence/integration of TN and NTN. Therefore, in this article, we have illustrated through 3GPP guidelines, on how NTN and TN can effectively be integrated. Moreover, the role of beamforming and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms is highlighted to achieve this integration. Finally the usefulness of integrating NTN and TN is validated through experimental analysis.
Paper Structure (15 sections, 5 figures)

This paper contains 15 sections, 5 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. NTN Ubiquitous Connectivity: A 6G Vision
  3. NTN & Standards
  4. Satellite Access Through Unmodified 4G Smartphones
  5. Integration of non-3GPP Satellite Access into 5G
  6. 5G-NTN: A First Complete Framework
  7. NTN Systems in 5G-Advanced & Beyond
  8. Advance Beamforming Techniques to Improve Future 6G NTN Connectivity
  9. AI for Seamless Connectivity in 6G NTN
  10. AI Applications in Integrated 6G-NTN
  11. Limits of AI-enabled TN/NTN Systems
  12. NTN Design and Analysis
  13. Airborne NTN Connectivity
  14. LEO Satellites based NTN Connectivity
  15. Conclusion

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: Timeline of the 3GPP standardization activities related to NTN.
  • Figure 2: NTN beamforming and precoding schemes.
  • Figure 3: Schematic of a distributed AI model over a constellation of satellites.
  • Figure 4: Public safety use case demonstration of NTN, jointly using AI and NOMA.
  • Figure 5: Illustration of a user centric beamforming use case, while utilizing LEO satellites to improve the system capacity.