A method for operating an infrastructure equipment forming part of a non-terrestrial network, NTN, of a wireless communications network is provided. The method comprises transmitting a plurality of spot beams, each of the spot beams providing a wireless access interface for transmitting signals to and/or receiving signals from communications devices within a coverage region formed by the each of the spot beams, determining, for one or more of the spot beams, that the coverage region formed by the one or more of the spot beams is at least partially located within a geographical region in which NTN services are not permitted, and changing a utilisation state of each of the one or more of the spot beams from a first utilisation state to a second utilisation state.

Increasing demand for communications systems for facilitating communications such as communications satellites leads to continuously increasing frequency bands of the signal for communication and the quantity of beams carrying the signals may make it more and more difficult to have a significant number of mechanical and electrical components concentrated in a location in proximity to the array while maintaining antenna efficiency. Provided is a direct radiating array (“DRA”) antenna for transmitting or receiving an electromagnetic radio frequency (“RF”) signal of at least one predetermined signal frequency band and a method of assembly that overcomes at least some of the disadvantages of existing direct radiating array systems and methods. The DRA antenna comprising a plurality of radiating elements, a plurality of RF signal chain paths and a beamforming network board having a plurality of electrical ports for electrically connecting to the plurality of RF signal chain paths.

A method and apparatus are disclosed. In an example from the perspective of a User Equipment (UE), the UE receives a Downlink Control Information (DCI) format from a base station. The UE applies a timing offset to information indicated by the DCI format.

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) may receive information that indicates whether to perform a first random access channel (RACH) procedure for a non-terrestrial network or a second RACH procedure for a terrestrial network, wherein the first RACH procedure is configured to support a larger number of UEs contemporaneously performing a RACH procedure than the second RACH procedure. Responsive to the information indicating that the UE is to perform the first RACH procedure, the UE may perform the first RACH procedure. Numerous other aspects are provided.

A method by a wireless device includes determining that a Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) is unavailable to the wireless device and/or will be unavailable to the wireless device. The wireless device determines not to perform an inactive mode or idle mode procedure during a period of time when the NTN is unavailable to the wireless device.

Various solutions for physical random access channel (PRACH) timing advance operation and PRACH configurations with respect to user equipment and network apparatus are described. An apparatus may determine a propagation delay between the apparatus and a network node. The apparatus may determine a pre-compensation timing margin. The apparatus may perform a timing advance pre-compensation according to the propagation delay and the pre-compensation timing margin. The apparatus may transmit an uplink signal by applying the timing advance pre-compensation.

A measurement method including determining, by a terminal device, a first adjustment parameter of a to-be-measured neighboring cell, determining, based on the first adjustment parameter, a first synchronization signal block-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window corresponding to the to-be-measured neighboring cell, and measuring the to-be-measured neighboring cell based on the first SMTC window.

A Data Relay Apparatus comprising multiple Systems of Data Relay Devices operating interconnectedly to provide data information transmissions throughout the Solar System. The Data Relay Apparatus provides multi-band radio frequency and optical laser-based data transmission across a Mesh Network located at calculated orbital positions/paths and celestial bodies in the Solar System region. Data Processing Hardware determines communications paths to route data information from transmission to destination Data Relay Devices. The determination of Signal Destination Routes creates, sustains, and enables a self-forming, self-healing, and self-expanding, respectively, Mesh Network configuration and characteristic of the Data Relay Apparatus. The location of Data Relay Devices enables data information connectivity from the orbital paths of Venus to Neptune. The invention improves existing yet limited data information transmission by providing increased data transmission speed, enhanced capacity, and adaptable network configuration essential to proliferated spacecraft travel and operations throughout the Solar System region.

The disclosure relates to a method for transmitting sensor data from multiple sensors to a satellite. In a first phase, which is designated as a registration phase, the satellite registers the sensors in question and allocates each sensor a time window for transmitting the respective sensor data, and in a second phase, which is designated as a transmission phase, the satellite requests the sensor data in the individual sensors in a controlled manner, e.g., according to a list generated by the satellite during the registration phase. Thus, it is possible for satellites to access a ground-based sensor system in an optimized and self-learning manner. The disclosure additionally relates to a satellite suitable for carrying out the aforementioned method.

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A serving base station or a serving satellite may transmit a timing configuration to the UE based on a reference unit, such as a location at a beam center for a respective satellite, a threshold distance relative to the beam center for the respective satellite, a reference time, or any combination thereof. In some cases, the UE may monitor for one or more SSBs from the neighboring satellites according to the timing configuration and a respective propagation delay between the UE and each of the neighboring satellites. The UE may measure the SSBs according to the measurement gap and measurement window in the timing configuration. In some examples, the UE may perform a cell handover procedure or a cell reselection procedure based on measuring the SSBs.