Mobility Management Enhancements in Non-Terrestrial Networks: A 3GPP Perspective

Inhalt:
Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) are expected to play a vital role in the 6G ecosystem by enabling global connectivity, expanding network capacity, and supporting resilient communication across terrestrial, aerial, and space domains. Leveraging both satellite beams and terrestrial infrastructure, NTN-based mobility management (MM) redefines how user equipment (UE) transitions across dynamic coverage footprints, whether between orbiting satellites (NTN-NTN) or between satellite and terrestrial segments (NTN-TN). However, NTNs pose unique challenges such as increased propagation delays, dynamic beam movements, and intermittent connectivity, which require tailored mobility solutions. This paper reviews recent 3GPP standardization efforts, outlines key technical challenges from early evaluations, and discusses future research directions aimed at enhancing MM in NTN-enabled 5G and beyond.