Jul 2026· International Conference on Smart Communications and Networking· pp. 1-8· 0 citations· 21 references
Abstract
As the telecommunications industry advances towards the realisation of 6G, ubiquitous global coverage has emerged as a key objective. This has driven significant interest in the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (ITNTNs), where satellite systems complement terrestrial infrastructure to enable seamless connectivity. However, the global operational scale of satellite systems necessitates cooperation between Low Earth Orbit satellite operators (LEOPs) and local mobile network operators (MNOs), introducing new economic and operational challenges. At the same time, emerging applications are expected to impose strict quality-of-service (QoS) requirements that must be guaranteed across both domains. This paper proposes a QoS-aware tiered pricing framework for supporting users with diverse QoS requirements in an ITNTN. Users are classified into service classes based on empirical traffic characterisation, with each class assigned a dedicated network slice and a target load level linked to QoS guarantees through a queueing-based latency model. The MNO determines class-specific prices that regulate aggregate demand to match these target loads. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed framework enforces QoS requirements, preserves the desired load hierarchy, and aligns pricing with QoS differentiation, while remaining analytically tractable under heterogeneous user populations.
The rapid growth of data- and delay-sensitive applications is driving unprecedented mobile traffic demand, straining terrestrial networks (TNs). Integrated Terrestrial-NonTerrestrial Networks (IT-NTNs), envisioned for 6G, aim to expand coverage and enhance capacity via satellite connectivity. Efficient load balancing across TN and NTN domains remains challenging due to inherent heterogeneity between the networks. This paper proposes a QoS-aware load balancing (QALB) algorithm for IT-NTNs. We introduce a congestion-dependent latency model that captures the coupling between latency and resource utilization, embedded in a unified cost function for user-cell association. The resulting load balancing problem is addressed using a distributed heuristic, with simulation results showing that QALB improves network performance in load distribution, throughput, and QoS satisfaction compared to benchmark schemes.
Shaban Omary Kasinge, O. Falowo· International Conference on...· 0 citations
The proliferation of applications and multimedia services has led users to demand more bandwidth while limiting access time to the target content. The current 5G specifications provide mechanisms to support these challenging requirements by leveraging both the slicing paradigm, which enables the allocation of network resources with dedicated Quality of Service (QoS), and the Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC), bringing content as close as possible to end users. Two additional key enablers can further improve user experience: the 5G non-3GPP access and the use of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN). The former could extend the overall coverage by exploiting legacy technologies, largely deployed, such as Wi-Fi, which can also avoid frequency license issues in many cases. The latter represents the most efficient solution to support multicast/broadcast content distribution towards the edges of the network. These key enablers are addressed in the ESA 5G-EMERGE project, where 5G, satellite broadcasting, and a Content Delivery Network (CDN) are integrated to efficiently deliver IP-based multimedia services. In this framework, the contribution of this paper is to describe the innovative reference architecture and technologies proposed in 5G-EMERGE, focusing on the implementation and validation of a non-3GPP edge component compliant with the 5G MEC architecture, leveraging NTN as backbone, interworking with a commercial 5G core network, and providing support for QoS enforcement and multicast delivery. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution in terms of both delay reduction and bandwidth optimization.
D. Verde, C. Roseti, F. Zampognaro et al.· International Conference on...· 0 citations
The evolution of sixth-generation (6G) networks increasingly necessitates seamless and on-demand coverage across heterogeneous environments, particularly maritime regions where traditional terrestrial infrastructure is limited. In this paper, we aim to enhance the quality of service (QoS) for maritime users in the 6G space-air-sea integrated networks (SASINs). To shed light on the design of SASIN, we consider a communication model consisting of a single satellite, a single decode-and-forward (DF) uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) relay, and multiple maritime users. A novel on-demand coverage performance metric, service efficiency, is proposed to evaluate the QoS of maritime users. Particularly, in order to explore the boundary performance of the proposed architecture, both uplink and downlink communications are analyzed under the assumption of perfect channel state information (CSI). Furthermore, we formulate optimization problems to maximize the service efficiency for both uplink and downlink transmissions, subject to the user scheduling and decoding order, beamforming design, and placement of the relay UAV, respectively. To address the uplink optimization problems, we propose an alternating optimization (AO) algorithm that integrates a greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP)-based user scheduling algorithm with a successive convex approximation (SCA)-based UAV placement strategy to obtain a high-quality suboptimal solution. Analogously, for the downlink optimization problem, we develop an AO algorithm that combines a low-complexity greedy user scheduling scheme based on an initial beamforming design with the joint optimization of UAV placement and beamforming, effectively balancing performance and computational efficiency. Finally, extensive numerical results demonstrate that the proposed schemes achieve near-optimal performance with significantly reduced complexity, offering a strong solution for high-efficiency SASIN in future 6G maritime communications.
Yingqi He, Jinpeng Xu, Lin Zhou et al.· IEEE Transactions on Wireles...· 0 citations
As wireless networks transition toward the 6G era, supporting strictly heterogeneous services such as eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC over a unified infrastructure becomes a fundamental challenge. Traditional Radio Access Network (RAN) slicing often relies on upper-layer logical abstractions, which fail to address physical inter-slice interference and the boundary effect of cellular architectures. This paper proposes a novel Profile-Aware Hierarchical RAN Slicing Framework for User-Centric Cell-Free Massive MIMO systems to overcome these limitations. The proposed framework comprises four hierarchical stages: utility-based profile-aware clustering, dynamic inter-slice resource partitioning for power and bandwidth, hybrid central processing unit-to-access point power budgeting, and real-time power allocation using a Bipartite Graph Convolutional Network (BiGCN). By incorporating service-specific requirements into physical layer resource management, the framework ensures strict quality-of-service isolation and global energy efficiency. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed integrated framework achieves a high Jain’s Fairness Index, exceeding 0.95 for most profiles and provides up to a 48-fold energy efficiency improvement for battery-constrained devices compared to non-slicing baselines. Furthermore, the BiGCN-based allocation module attains near-optimal performance with millisecond-level inference latency, confirming its feasibility for mission-critical real-time applications. This comprehensive approach effectively eliminates the trade-off between aggregate throughput and individual reliability, providing a scalable solution for next-generation sliced networks.
Ja-Eun Kim, Hye-Yoon Jeong, Ji-Woo Lee et al.· IEEE Access· 0 citations
Terrestrial–non-terrestrial (TN–NTN) integration can extend 5G coverage, but maintaining high goodput and low delay is challenging when a 28 GHz terrestrial layer is combined with moving LEO satellites. Existing studies mainly address architectures, analytical models, or handover-based operation, leaving the system-level behaviour of NR Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) with moving satellite secondary nodes insufficiently evaluated. This paper evaluates an integrated terrestrial–LEO 5G network using a customised Simu5G framework with NR-primary master cell group (MCG) operation, dynamic satellite secondary cell group (SCG) selection, PDCP split-bearer forwarding with MCG fallback, and a hybrid TN–NTN channel model. The NR-DC configuration is compared with satellite-only and terrestrial-only baselines under identical topology, traffic, and channel settings. Results show that NR-DC improves downlink delivery: CBR goodput increases by 321.29% and 28.95% over the satellite-only and terrestrial-only baselines, respectively, with corresponding delay reductions of 71.16% and 62.75%. TCP downlink goodput also improves, although delay increases because of heterogeneous path effects. In the uplink, NR-DC outperforms satellite-only operation but remains below terrestrial-only performance, indicating that the benefit depends on traffic direction and transport behaviour.
G. Pradhan, Babu R. Dawadi· Discover Networks· 0 citations
Bridging the rural digital divide remains a persistent global challenge despite the widespread deployment of 4G and 5G cellular networks. This paper presents a comprehensive survey and quantitative analysis of network architectures for enabling future sixth-generation (6G) services in rural and underserved regions. Drawing on a structured review of peer-reviewed studies, 3GPP and ITU-R standards, O-RAN Alliance specifications, and documented field deployments, we classify and evaluate four architectural categories: terrestrial networks (TNs), non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), hybrid TN–NTN systems, and Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)-based deployments. Each architecture is assessed against International Mobile Telecommunications for 2030 (IMT-2030) performance targets for throughput, end-to-end round-trip latency, energy efficiency (expressed as energy consumed per bit), coverage, and reliability. Unlike prior surveys that address individual components in isolation, such as satellite backhaul, microwave transport, or O-RAN frameworks, this paper provides a unified, deployment-driven, and quantitatively grounded treatment of all four architectural classes under rural 6G constraints. The survey analyzes key enabling technologies including Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPSs), Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite systems, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS), and AI-native orchestration frameworks. Analytical models are presented for RIS-assisted link enhancement and AI-native RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) control utility. A quantitative, normalized key performance indicator (KPI) comparison across cost efficiency, spectral utilization, power consumption, and deployment scalability is grounded in a transparent scoring methodology, extended with a multi-criteria (AHP) architecture ranking, a weight-sensitivity analysis, and a parametric techno-economic cost-per-user comparison, and supported by an extensive review of technical, industrial, and policy literature. Beyond current deployments, this work identifies emerging technologies, including direct-to-device non-terrestrial access, programmable radio environments, and intelligent RAN control, that are expected to play a central role in extending sustainable rural 6G connectivity. A practical deployment decision framework and scenario-driven architectural guidance are provided for researchers, network operators, and policymakers pursuing inclusive, future-ready rural connectivity.
Souradeep Deb, Nishith D. Tripathi, Jeffrey H. Reed· IEEE Open Journal of the Com...· 0 citations