Architectures and Key Technical Challenges for 5G Systems Incorporating Satellites

Satellite Communication systems are a promising solution to extend and complement terrestrial networks in unserved or under-served areas. This aspect is reflected by recent commercial and standardisation endeavours. In particular, 3GPP recently initiated a Study Item for New Radio-based, i.e., 5G, Non-Terrestrial Networks aimed at deploying satellite systems either as a stand-alone solution or as an integration to terrestrial networks in mobile broadband and machine-type communication scenarios. However, typical satellite channel impairments, as large path losses, delays, and Doppler shifts, pose severe challenges to the realisation of a satellite-based NR network. In this paper, based on the architecture options currently being discussed in the standardisation fora, we discuss and assess the impact of the satellite channel characteristics on the physical and Medium Access Control layers, both in terms of transmitted waveforms and procedures for enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB) and NarrowBand-Internet of Things (NB-IoT) applications. The proposed analysis shows that the main technical challenges are related to the PHY/MAC procedures, in particular Random Access (RA), Timing Advance (TA), and Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) and, depending on the considered service and architecture, different solutions are proposed.Comment: Submitted to Transactions on Vehicular Technologies, April 201

Signal-to-noise ratio estimation algorithm for advanced DVB-RCS systems

This paper presents a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimation algorithm for advanced Digital Video Broadcasting - Return Channel via Satellite (DVB-RCS) systems using adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) in the reverse link of broadband satellite systems. Due to the absence of a repetitive pilot symbol structure, SNR estimation has to be performed using the fixed symbol preamble data. Moreover, sporadic nature of data traffic on the return link causes variation in interference level from slot to slot and, therefore, the estimation has to be done within one traffic slot duration. Hence, it becomes necessary to use a combination of data-aided (DA) and decision-directed (DD) algorithms so as to make use of traffic data. A non-data-aided (NDA) estimator that was previously proposed by the authors for binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and QPSK schemes is extended to 8-PSK in a decision directed manner. This estimator shows improved performance over existing estimators. The inherent bias of DD approach at low values of SNR is reduced by using a hybrid approach, i.e. using the proposed estimator at moderate/high values of SNR and the moments-based estimator (M2M4) at low values of SNR. Overall improved performance of the proposed hybrid estimator, in terms of accuracy and complexity, makes it an attractive choice for implementing ACM in advanced DVB-RCS systems

Signal-to-noise ratio estimation algorithm for adaptive coding and modulation in advanced DVB-RCS systems

This paper presents a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimation algorithm for advanced digital video broadcastingreturn channel via satellite (DVB-RCS) systems using adaptive coding and modulation (ACM). Due to the absence of a repetitive pilot symbol structure, SNR estimation has to be performed using the fixed symbol preamble data. Moreover, sporadic nature of data traffic on the return link causes variation in interference level from slot to slot and, therefore, the estimation has to be done within one traffic slot duration. Hence, it becomes necessary to use a combination of data-aided and decision-directed (DD) algorithms so as to make use of traffic data. A non-data-aided estimator that was previously proposed by the authors for binary and quadrature phase shift keying schemes is extended to 8-PSK in a decision directed manner. The inherent bias of DD approach at low values of SNR is reduced by using a hybrid approach, that is, using the proposed estimator at moderate/high values of SNR and the moments-based estimator (M2M4) at low values of SNR. Overall improved performance of the proposed hybrid estimator, in terms of accuracy and complexity, makes it an attractive choice for implementing ACM in advanced DVB-RCS systems