Creating Value through Space-Air-Ground Integrated Networks for Beyond 5G / 6G

Future networks, including Beyond 5G/6G, are expected with the challenging requirements where all devices are permanently reachable to/from the network and receive reliable services with low latency. To achieve this, it is necessary to enable network connectivity everywhere around the globe, including in suburban and maritime areas, and to establish high-speed links even in remote areas. As realistic solutions, non-terrestrial networks (NTN) using satellite constellations and space-air-ground integrated networks (SAGIN) are attracting attention, and various studies are underway to realise these networks. In this keynote talk, first, the trends surrounding satellite constellations and the expected direction of value creation will be discussed from the perspective of the space business. Then, the technical challenges that need breakthroughs and some of the research topics undertaken by the NEC × Tohoku University Co-Creation Research Institute of Space-Integrated Network for Resilient Digital Transformation will be introduced.

With an optimal combination of satellites, high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), and grand base stations, SAGIN is supposed to accommodate all user terminals and devices to be connected, regardless of environment. Free space optical (FSO) communication links has been considered to increase the transmission rate of these systems. However, existing works focus on single-link scenarios due to the complexity of a system-level approach. While viable and simple to implement, these approaches are not the most efficient as they underrepresent the impact of interactions between devices. This keynote will demonstrate the challenges of this optical-based SAGIN system and our smart networking solutions utilising Machine Learning.