Research Projects

The fifth generation (5G) of wireless communication technologies is being envisioned to support rapid growth in network traffic from broadband and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. One novel network architecture in 6G and beyond is the non-terrestrial network (NTN) architecture, where multiple users are supported through one or more aerial base stations (ABSs). These ABSs may be satellites or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which can be deployed as per situational demands. The third generation partnership project (3GPP) is facilitating the development of these technologies by integrating basic satellite solutions to the 3GPP's 5G ecosystem and scaling solutions towards 6G/7G. This motivates the design and development of NTN-based solutions for supporting futuristic broadband and IoT applications. The focus of this project will be on IoT NTNs operating in three modes: using low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites, using UAVs, and a hybrid network of LEO satellites and UAVs. In the first mode, large residual timing and frequency offsets may occur due to the lack of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS). In the second mode, UAVs are closer to IoT UEs, but their duration is limited. In the third mode, UAVs act as relays between IoT UEs and LEO satellites, resulting in challenges related to grouping and ensuring quality of service (QoS). This project will provide novel solutions that are 3GPP compatible, ensuring that currently deployed 4G/5G networks can easily scale to 6G NTN. The solutions developed can be used by communication industries hosting 4G/5G networks to upgrade to 6G and national organizations like ISRO.