2,159 research outputs found
Role of satellite communications in 5G ecosystem: perspectives and challenges
The next generation of mobile radio communication systems – so-called 5G – will
provide some major changes to those generations to date. The ability to cope with huge
increases in data traffic at reduced latencies and improved quality of user experience
together with a major reduction in energy usage are big challenges. In addition,
future systems will need to embody connections to billions of objects – the so-called
Internet of Things (IoT) which raises new challenges.Visions of 5G are now available
from regions across the world and research is ongoing towards new standards. The
consensus is a flatter architecture that adds a dense network of small cells operating in
the millimetre wave bands and which are adaptable and software controlled. But what
is the place for satellites in such a vision? The chapter examines several potential
roles for satellites in 5G including coverage extension, IoT, providing resilience,
content caching and multi-cast, and the integrated architecture. Furthermore, the
recent advances in satellite communications together with the challenges associated
with the use of satellite in the integrated satellite-terrestrial architecture are also
discussed
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