MEC-Empowered Non-Terrestrial Network for 6G Wide-Area Time-Sensitive Internet of Things

In the upcoming sixth-generation(6G)era,the demand for constructing a wide-area time-sensitive Internet of Things(IoT)continues to increase.As conventional cellular technologies are difficult to directly use for wide-area time-sensitive IoT,it is beneficial to use non-terrestrial infrastructures,including satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs).Thus,we can build a non-terrestrial network(NTN)using a cell-free architecture.Driven by the time-sensitive requirements and uneven distribution of IoT devices,the NTN must be empowered using mobile edge computing(MEC)while providing oasisoriented on-demand coverage for devices.Nevertheless,communication and MEC systems are coupled with each other under the influence of a complex propagation environment in the MEC-empowered NTN,which makes it difficult to coordinate the resources.In this study,we propose a process-oriented framework to design communication and MEC systems in a time-division manner.In this framework,large-scale channel state information(CSI)is used to characterize the complex propagation environment at an affordable cost,where a nonconvex latency minimization problem is formulated.Subsequently,the approximated problem is provided,and it can be decomposed into sub-problems.These sub-problems are then solved iteratively.The simulation results demonstrated the superiority of the proposed process-oriented scheme over other algorithms,implied that the payload deployments of UAVs should be appropriately predesigned to improve the efficiency of using resources,and confirmed that it is advantageous to integrate NTN with MEC for wide-area time-sensitive IoT.

Spatio-Temporal Service Analysis in Multi-Layer Non-Terrestrial Networks

In the advent of the 6G era, non-terrestrial networks (NTN) with expansive coverage are being increasingly recognized as a vital supplement to cellular networks for facilitating seamless communication. The intricate interplay between network performance and service quality necessitates a thorough investigation into the modeling and analysis of services for efficient construction of NTN.Previous studies on service analysis, predominantly focused on terrestrial networks,fall short in addressing the unique challenges posed by NTN,particularly those related to platform distribution and antenna gain modeling. This deficiency in research,coupled with the varying preferences of users for different network types, forms the basis of this study. This paper explores the spatio-temporal characteristics of services within a multi-layered NTN framework.In this context,the spatial distribution of the platforms is modeled using a binomial point process, and the antennas are characterized by a sectorized beam pattern. We derive the closed-form expressions for the association probability,the number of accessed users, and the arrival rate of services with certain delay requirements towards different types of NTN. Simulation results are provided to evaluate the influence of various parameters on the association probability, the number of accessed users, and the total arrival rate of services. The number of satellites can be determined to achieve the optimal system utility,balancing the accessed services, offloading effects, and launching costs. This initial investigation lays the groundwork for further theoretical progress in the service analysis and platform deployment of NTN.

Performance Analysis of the Packet-Based PNT Service in NGSO Broadband Satellite Communication Systems

Providing alternative PNT service to GNSS-challenged users will be an important function of next-generation NGSO broadband satellite communication systems.Herein,a packet-based PNT service architecture in NGSO broadband systems is proposed in which a primary satellite and selected assistant satellites work together to provide PNT service to requesting users.Its positioning performance bounds are mathematically formulated by rigorously analyzing the bounds constrained by different waveforms.Simulations are conducted on different configurations of Walker Delta MEO constellations and Walker Star LEO constellations for corroboration,revealing the following:(1)Both MEO and LEO constellations achieve sub-meter-level positioning precision given enough satellites.(2)Compared to the GNSS Doppler-based velocity estimation method,the position advance based velocity estimation algorithm is more precise and applicable to the PNT service in NGSO broadband systems.(3)To provide PNT service to users in GNSS-challenged environments,the primary and each assistant satellite need only∼0.1‰of the time of one downlink beam.

Double-Edge Intelligent Integrated Satellite Terrestrial Networks

The efficient integration of satellite and terrestrial networks has become an important component for 6 G wireless architectures to provide highly reliable and secure connectivity over a wide geographical area.As the satellite and cellular networks are developed separately these years,the integrated network should synergize the communication,storage,computation capabilities of both sides towards an intelligent system more than mere consideration of coexistence.This has motivated us to develop double-edge intelligent integrated satellite and terrestrial networks(DILIGENT).Leveraging the boost development of multi-access edge computing(MEC)technology and artificial intelligence(AI),the framework is entitled with the systematic learning and adaptive network management of satellite and cellular networks.In this article,we provide a brief review of the state-of-art contributions from the perspective of academic research and standardization.Then we present the overall design of the proposed DILIGENT architecture,where the advantages are discussed and summarized.Strategies of task offloading,content caching and distribution are presented.Numerical results show that the proposed network architecture outperforms the existing integrated networks.

Study on Security of 5G and Satellite Converged Communication Network

The 5G and satellite converged communication network(5G SCCN)is an impor⁃tant component of the integration of satellite-terrestrial networks,the national science,and technology major projects towards 2030.Security is the key to ensuring its operation,but at present,the research in this area has just started in our country.Based on the network char⁃acteristics and security risks,we propose the security architecture of the 5G SCCN and sys⁃tematically sort out the key protection technologies and improvement directions.In particu⁃lar,unique thinking on the security of lightweight data communication and design reference for the 5G SCCN network architecture is presented.It is expected to provide a piece of refer⁃ence for the follow-up 5G SCCN security technology research,standard evolution,and indus⁃trialization.

Coverage in Cooperative LEO Satellite Networks

Low-earth orbit(LEO)satellite networks ignite global wireless connectivity.However,signal outages and co-channel interference limit the coverage in traditional LEO satellite networks where a user is served by a single satellite.This paper explores the possibility of satellite cooperation in the downlink transmissions.Using tools from stochastic geometry,we model and analyze the downlink coverage of a typical user with satellite cooperation under Nakagami fading channels.Moreover,we derive the joint distance distribution of cooperative LEO satellites to the typical user.Our model incorporates fading channels,cooperation among several satellites,satellites'density and altitude,and co-channel interference.Extensive Monte Carlo simulations are performed to validate analytical results.Simulation and numerical results suggest that coverage with LEO satellites cooperation considerably exceeds coverage without cooperation.Moreover,there are optimal satellite density and satellite altitude that maximize the coverage probability,which gives valuable network design insights.