Abstract

Satellite Communications in the 5G Era explores promising scenarios for 5G Satellite Communications (SatCom), novel paradigms for satellite-terrestrial integration and emerging technologies for the next generation of satellite systems and hybrid/integrated satellite-terrestrial systems, and focuses on recent research efforts towards 5G and beyond. Satellite communications plays a vital role in ensuring seamless access to any telecommunications service anytime and anywhere, and is only a viable option for delivering telecommunication services in a wide range of sectors such as aeronautical, military, maritime, rescue and disaster relief. It should be an important component of 5G-and-beyond wireless architectures as it complements terrestrial telecommunication solutions in various scenarios and will ensure the expansion of the 5G ecosystem towards highly reliable and secure global wireless networks.

Abstract

Key features of satellite communications such as wide-scale coverage, broadcast/multicast support and high availability, together with significant amounts of new satellite capacity coming online, anticipate new opportunities for satellite communications services as an integral part within upcoming 5G systems. To materialize these opportunities, satellite communications services have to be provisioned and operated in a more flexible, agile and cost-effective manner than done today. In this context, this paper firstly describes the architecture of a satellite ground segment system that builds on the introduction of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) technologies and then examines a use case for the realization of End-to-End Traffic Engineering in a combined terrestrial-satellite network used for mobile backhauling. Peer Reviewed Document type: Conference object

Abstract

Broadband satellite constellation networks will be required to carry all types of IP traffic, real time interactive traffic as well as non-real time traffic, warranting the need for appropriate QoS for these different traffic flows. In this paper we investigate the need for MPLS traffic engineering in GEO/MEO/LEO satellite networks to address QoS issues. We compare the service received by TCP and UDP flows when they share a link and when they are routed on explicit MPLS traffic trunks. Since MPLS traffic trunks allow non-shortest path links also to be used, the total network throughput goes up with proper traffic engineering. If UDP and TCP flows are mixed in a trunk, TCP flows receive reduced service as the UDP flows increase their rates. Also, we found that with MPLS traffic engineering we can protect real time traffic and VoIP traffic from packet loss and excessive jitter by separating them from other congestion unresponsive flows Peer Reviewed

Abstract

© 2017 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes,creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. Resilience and high availability are considered as essential requirements in 5G networks. To fullfil these requirements, the integration of a satellite component within mobile backhaul networks arises as a compelling proposition to provide backup connectivity to critical cell sites and divert traffic from congested areas so that a limited capacity in their terrestrial links could be supplemented during peak-time or even replaced in case of total/partial failure or maintenance. This is especially of interest for public protection and disaster relief (PPDR) communications in remote/rural areas that might require the fast deployment of nework capacity as well as in distressed areas where the terrestrial backhaul infrastructure might have suffered damages. This paper first describes an architectural framework that enables the integration and management of the satellite capacity as a constituent part of a Software Defined Networking (SDN) -based traffic engineered mobile backhaul network. Then, a SDN-based Traffic Engineering (TE) application is proposed to manage some amount of dynamically steerable satellite capacity provisioned for resilience purposes to maximize a network utility function under both failure and nonfailure conditions in the terrestrial links. Numerical results are presented to assess the benefits of the proposed TE application and its performance is compared to that of a traditional overflow solution. Peer Reviewed

Abstract

In this paper, the problem of cross-layer design of the link scheduling and flow control is studied in hybrid terrestrial-satellite wireless backhauling network. Considering network limitations and requirements, the target is to minimize the traffic delivery time by deciding the active backhauling links that can transmit simultaneously. Additionally, the proposed scheme provides a way to utilize the satellite links efficiently in order to provide the required link failure resiliency and traffic off-loading capability. Simulation results quantify the benefits of using the satellite links in cases of link failure and traffic congestion. Peer Reviewed Document type: Conference object