Integrating terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks has the potential of connecting the unconnected and enhancing the user experience for the already-connected, with technological and societal implications of the greatest long-term significance. A convergence of ground, air, and space wireless communications also represents a formidable endeavor for the mobile and satellite communications industries alike, as it entails defining and intelligently orchestrating a new 3D wireless network architecture. In this article, we present the key opportunities and challenges arising from this (r)evolution by presenting some of its disruptive use-cases and key building blocks, reviewing the relevant standardization activities, and pointing to open research problems. By considering two multi-operator paradigms, we also showcase how terrestrial networks could be efficiently re-engineered to cater for aerial services, or opportunistically complemented by non-terrestrial infrastructure to augment their current capabilities.
@article{arxiv.2207.10385,
title = {Integrating Terrestrial and Non-terrestrial Networks: 3D Opportunities and Challenges},
author = {Giovanni Geraci and David Lopez-Perez and Mohamed Benzaghta and Symeon Chatzinotas},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2207.10385},
year = {2022}
}