TY - JOUR
T1 - A Comprehensive Review on Non-terrestrial Network Technologies in 3GPP Standards
AU - Park, Heejae
AU - Seol, Kihyun
AU - Song, Seungyeop
AU - Lee, Yerin
AU - Choi, Won Seok
AU - Sung, Kyung Mo
AU - Nguyen, Tri Hai
AU - Park, Laihyuk
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) are pivotal in addressing the limitations of terrestrial networks, particularly by extending connectivity to remote and underserved areas. This paper comprehensively reviews NTN technologies, focusing on architectural advancements and their integration with terrestrial networks. A chronological analysis of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards evolution from Release 15 to Release 19 highlights critical milestones in NTN standardization and deployment. Future research directions are identified, including regenerative payloads, advanced mobility management approaches, uplink/downlink enhancements, and the integration of reduced-capability devices to improve NTN efficiency and scalability. Additionally, transformative applications of NTNs across industries are explored, with discussions focusing on real-world use cases, operational challenges, and potential solutions. Open issues such as NTN-based open radio access networks, NTN-based artificial intelligence-enhanced radio access networks, Starlink integration, and network switching strategies are presented, offering insights into achieving seamless connectivity and operational efficiency. By addressing these aspects, the paper lays a robust foundation for advancing NTN technologies and their integration into next-generation wireless communication systems.
AB - Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) are pivotal in addressing the limitations of terrestrial networks, particularly by extending connectivity to remote and underserved areas. This paper comprehensively reviews NTN technologies, focusing on architectural advancements and their integration with terrestrial networks. A chronological analysis of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards evolution from Release 15 to Release 19 highlights critical milestones in NTN standardization and deployment. Future research directions are identified, including regenerative payloads, advanced mobility management approaches, uplink/downlink enhancements, and the integration of reduced-capability devices to improve NTN efficiency and scalability. Additionally, transformative applications of NTNs across industries are explored, with discussions focusing on real-world use cases, operational challenges, and potential solutions. Open issues such as NTN-based open radio access networks, NTN-based artificial intelligence-enhanced radio access networks, Starlink integration, and network switching strategies are presented, offering insights into achieving seamless connectivity and operational efficiency. By addressing these aspects, the paper lays a robust foundation for advancing NTN technologies and their integration into next-generation wireless communication systems.
KW - 3GPP
KW - Architecture
KW - Non-terrestrial Networks
KW - Service Scenarios
KW - Terrestrial Networks
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105018124044
U2 - 10.22967/HCIS.2025.15.059
DO - 10.22967/HCIS.2025.15.059
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105018124044
SN - 2192-1962
VL - 15
JO - Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences
JF - Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences
M1 - 59
ER -