Publications Conference paper · Delay-tolerant networks · 2025

Performance Comparison of DTN-Inspired Approaches for Store-and-Forward NTNs

Oriol Fusté, Juan A. Fraire, Anna Calveras, and Joan A. Ruiz-de-Azua

International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Space Communications and Navigation Symposium, pp. 481–491, 2025

Abstract

3GPP is actively exploring massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), one of the three core 5G services areas, to enable services for large amounts of Internet of Things (IoT) terminals that generate regular small-payload messages. Covering this type of applications involve dealing with high density of terminals, which also require resource efficiency for long battery lifes. Expanding global coverage to remote and underserved areas is a crucial step towards the mMTC vision due to the multitude of remote IoT use cases that are uncovered by existing infrastructure. To achieve this efficiently, one approach is to use satellites to provide global coverage, standardized as Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN). In addition, advancements in Low-Power Wide-Area Network technologies, such as NB-IoT, play a crucial role in enabling efficient direct-to-satellite communications. Among NTN architectures, small and sparse networks of Low Earth Orbit satellites are a cost-effective alternative to large mega-constellations, but require the support of a Store-and-Forward (S&F) architecture and a regenerative payload approach on-board the satellites to overcome the link discontinuities. This need is recognized by 3GPP and is an active discussion topic in Release 19 known as S&F NTNs. Current solution proposals primarily focus on high-level architectural frameworks, leaving the concrete enabling technologies for S&F NTNs largely undefined. Delay/Disruption-Tolerant Networking is a well-established approach for challenged networks, but its integration into 3GPP systems presents challenges. In this work, we explore the options available to deploy an interoperable S&F solution, and evaluate them in a testbed featuring the payload twin of a S&F NTN mission and discuss the results and their conclusions on candidate technologies for enabling S&F NTNs.

Cite

DOI 10.52202/083082-0057

BibTeX

@inproceedings{fuste2025performance,
  author    = {Fust{\'e}, Oriol and Fraire, Juan A. and Calveras, Anna and Ruiz-de-Azua, Joan A.},
  title     = {Performance Comparison of {DTN}-Inspired Approaches for Store-and-Forward {NTNs}},
  booktitle = {International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Space Communications and Navigation Symposium},
  pages     = {481--491},
  publisher = {IAF},
  year      = {2025},
  doi       = {10.52202/083082-0057}
}

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