Spectrum Sharing in 6G Space-Ground Integrated Networks: A Ground Protection Zone-Based Design

TL;DR

This paper proposes a ground protection zone-based spectrum sharing scheme in 6G space-ground networks to mitigate interference and optimize system performance, specifically maximizing weighted-sum area data rate through analytical and simulation methods.

Contribution

It introduces a novel ground protection zone approach for spectrum sharing in 6G SGIN, with analytical derivation of coverage probability and data rate, and explores optimal zone size and spectrum allocation.

Findings

Optimal protection zone radius enhances system performance.

Proper spectrum allocation improves weighted-sum area data rate.

Analytical results align with simulation outcomes.

Abstract

Space-ground integrated network (SGIN) has been envisioned as a competitive solution for large scale and wide coverage of future wireless networks. By integrating both the non-terrestrial network (NTN) and the terrestrial network (TN), SGIN can provide high speed and omnipresent wireless network access for the users using the predefined licensed spectrums. Considering the scarcity of the spectrum resource and the low spectrum efficiency of the SGIN, we enable the NTN and TN to share the spectrum to improve overall system performance, i.e., weighted-sum area data rate (WS-ADR). However, mutual interference between NTN and TN is often inevitable and thus causes SGIN performance degradation. In this work, we consider a ground protection zone for the TN base stations, in which the NTN users are only allowed to use the NTN reserved spectrum to mitigate the NTN and TN mutual interference. We analytically derive the coverage probability and area data rate (ADR) of the typical users and study the performance under various protection zone sizes and spectrum allocation parameter settings. Simulation and numerical results demonstrate that the WS-ADR could be maximized by selecting the appropriate radius of protection zone and bandwidth allocation factor in the SGIN.