Abstract: The sixth generation (6G) wireless communication network has to cover space and air area in addition to urban terrestrial coverage by the fifth generation (5G) network to support Internet of Things (IoT). The integration of Terrestrial Networks (TNs) and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) in 6G enables seamless connectivity and practicality of IoT services all over the world. It also faces enormous challenges such as complex network environments, differentiated service demands, and multiple-layer heterogeneous networks. Towards this end, we present the first steps in a structured investigation of TNs and NTNs in the 6G era, taking into consideration that a hybrid satellite–unmanned area vehicle (UAV) – terrestrial network leads to high system complexity, due to the homogeneity and dynamics of space/air/ground links. The first part of this article deals with non –terrestrial integration in 6G. Secondly, a 6G NTN IoT network structure is presented. We continue with use case scenarios requirements for satellite – UAV – TNs. Finally, we list potential research directions.

Keywords: Non-terrestrial integration, 6G, IoT, UAV, Use cases

Pages: 67-71