Content for TR 22.822 Word version: 16.0.0

3.1 Definitions 3.2 Abbreviations 4.1 Introduction 4.2 "Service Continuity" Category 4.3 "Service Ubiquity" Category 4.4 "Service Scalability" Category
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1 Scope Word‑p. 7

TS 22.261 (Service requirements for next generation new services and markets) requires that the 5G system shall be able to provide services using satellite access. It further specifies that the 5G system shall support service continuity between land based 5G access and satellite based access networks owned by the same operator or by an agreement between operators.
The present document presents the results of a study on using satellite access in 5G. Use cases for the provision of services when considering the integration of 5G satellite-based access components in the 5G system are identified. This leads to the associated identification of existing / planned, as well for new, services and the corresponding modified or new requirements. The requirements on set-up / configuration / maintenance of the features of UE's when using satellite components combined with other components from the 5G system are addressed as well as regulatory requirements when moving to (or from) satellite from (or to) terrestrial networks

2 References

The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.

References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or non-specific.
For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.
For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same Release as the present document.

[1]

TR 21.905: "Vocabulary for 3GPP Specifications".

[2]

TS 22.261: "Service requirements for next generation new services and markets".

[3]

TS 23.501: "System Architecture for the 5G System".

3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations

3.1 Definitions

For the purposes of the present document, the terms and definitions given in TR 21.905 and the following apply. A term defined in the present document takes precedence over the definition of the same term, if any, in TR 21.905.

The definitions given in [2] are also applicable in this report.

The definitions given in [3] are also applicable in this report

Satellite:

a space-borne vehicle embarking a bent pipe payload or a regenerative payload telecommunication transmitter, placed into Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) typically at an altitude between 500 km to 2000 km, Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) typically at an altitude between 8000 to 20000 lm, or Geostationary satellite Earth Orbit (GEO) at 35 786 km altitude.

Satellite network:

Network, or segments of network, using a space-borne vehicle to embark a transmission equipment relay node or base station.

Satellite RAT:

a RAT defined to support at least one satellite.

5G Satellite RAT:

a Satellite RAT defined as part of the New Radio.

5G satellite access network:

5G access network using at least one satellite.

Terrestrial:

located at the surface of Earth.

Terrestrial network:

Network, or segments of a network located at the surface of the Earth.

3.2 Abbreviations Word‑p. 8

For the purposes of the present document, the abbreviations given in TR 21.905 and the following apply. An abbreviation defined in the present document takes precedence over the definition of the same abbreviation, if any, in TR 21.905.
5QI
5G QoS Identifier

ALM
Additive Layer Manufacturing

AMF
Access and mobility Management Function

CN
Core Network

D2D
Device to Device

eMBB
enhanced Mobile Broadband

eMBMS
enhanced Multimedia Broadcast & Multimedia System over LTE

FFS
For Further Study

GEO
Geostationary Earth Orbit

gNB
next Generation Node B

GSM
Global System for Mobile

HEO
Highly Elliptical Orbit

HFT
High Frequency Trading

HQ
Head Quarter

IoT
Internet of Things

LEO
Low Earth Orbit

LI
Lawful Intercept

LTE
Long Term Evolution

MEO
Medium Earth Orbiting

mMTC
massive Machine Type Communications

MNO
Mobile Network Operator

Nb-IoT
Narrow band Internet Of Things

NGSO
Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit

NR
New Radio

QI
Quality Indicator

QoS
Quality of Service

RAN
Radio Access Network

RAT
Radio Access Technology

SE
Stock Exchange

SMF
Session Management Function

SNO
Satellite Network Operator

TR
Technical Report

TS
Technical Specification

TV
Television

UE
User Equipment

VIP
Very Important Person

4 Categorisation of use cases for satellite access in 5G

4.1 Introduction

On the basis of the analysis of the characteristics of satellite networks, it is possible to define 3 main categories that will be used in the following parts of the documents. Categories are not exclusive from each other: a use case may contribute to one or more categories.

The following sub-clauses define and illustrate the corresponding categories:

4.2 "Service Continuity" Category Word‑p. 9

The deployment of terrestrial networks can be driven by the coverage of population centres rather than by the coverage of geographical areas. This can lead to the creation of geographical areas where access to the 5G services through the radio coverage of a terrestrial network will not be possible
In such cases, UE's whether associated with pedestrian users, or embarked on moving land mobile terrestrial platforms (e.g. a car, a coach, a truck, a train), airborne platforms (e.g. a commercial or a private jet) or maritime platforms (e.g. a maritime vessel) can experience conditions where 5G services cannot be offered continuously by a single or a combination of terrestrial networks during the journey of the UE.
Use cases described under this category will address the opportunity for users to be provided a continuous access to services granted by the 5G system, whilst moving between terrestrial and satellite networks. Use cases including fleets of such UE's (whether dispersed or locally grouped) would also be included in this category.

4.3 "Service Ubiquity" Category

Terrestrial networks may not be available due either to economic rationales (expectation for revenues not meeting the minimum threshold for profitability), or disasters (e.g. Earthquakes, floods) leading to a temporary outage or total destruction of the terrestrial network infrastructures that need to be restored.

A number of potential users may wish to access 5G services in these "un-served" or "underserved" areas by terrestrial networks, but will be prevented to do so, unless 5G satellite access networks provide such a service.

Example uses cases are:

Internet of Things (for Agriculture, Critical Infrastructures Metering & Control -pipelines, Asset Tracking/Tracing)
Public Safety and associated emergency networks
Home access

4.4 "Service Scalability" Category

In comparison with terrestrial networks, satellite networks have a large coverage, typically corresponding to tens of thousands of cells of a terrestrial network. Satellites are therefore efficient in multicasting or broadcasting a similar content over a large area, and potentially directly to user equipment. Similarly, a satellite network can also contribute to off-loading traffic from terrestrial networks during the busy hours by multicasting or broadcasting non time sensitive data in non-busy hours.

Use cases associated to this category would be for instance the distribution of rich to very rich TV content due to new media encoding format (e.g. 3D, Ultra High Definition).