Systems and methods for communication in 4G and 5G broadband satellite networks are provided. The disclosed methods include Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-independent methods, and GNSS assisted methods that do not require transmission of satellite ephemeris information from a base station to user equipment.

To automatically determine geographic positions of signal sources in areas with limited satellite coverage, a system receives signal data collected by a receiver moving along a path through a geographic area with limited satellite coverage, the signal data being indicative of changes, over a period of time, in strength of respective signals detected by the moving receiver and emitted by multiple signal sources statically disposed along the path. The system determines a time it takes for a length of a vehicle to pass by the signal source at the determined speed. The system then calculates static positions of the signal sources using the signal data and the determined time, including associating the location of each signal source with a time when the signal source was directly over the roof of the vehicle in which the moving receiver is travelling.

Systems and methods for communication in 4G and 5G broadband satellite networks are provided. The disclosed methods include Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-independent methods, and GNSS assisted methods that do not require transmission of satellite ephemeris information from a base station to user equipment.

In a geographic area with limited satellite coverage, multiple signal sources are statically disposed along a path through the geographic area. To automatically determine geographic positions of the signal sources, signal data collected by a receiver moving along the path is received, where the signal data indicates changes, over a period of time, in strength of respective signals emitted by the signal sources. Indications of a first position of the receiver at a first time prior to entering the geographic area and a second position of the receiver at a second time subsequent to leaving the geographic area are received, and positions for the signal sources are determined using the received signal data and the received indications of the positions and the times. The determined positions for the signal sources are used to geoposition a device moving along the path.

Systems, devices and methods for a user equipment (UE) to perform public land mobile network (PLMN) selection with a non-terrestrial network (NTN). A UE performs a non-access stratum (NAS) procedure with a public land mobile network (PLMN) of an NTN. The UE receives a NAS message from the PLMN, and the NAS message indicates that the UE is not allowed to access a core network of the NTN. The NAS message may indicate that the UE is not allowed to access the core network of the NTN because a location of the UE is unknown to the NTN, that access to the NTN is not allowed in a country in which the UE is located, or that a location of the UE is not within a country associated with the NTN. The UE modifies its PLMN search procedure responsive to receiving the NAS message.

Systems and methods for communication in 4G and 5G broadband satellite networks are provided. The disclosed methods include Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-independent methods, and GNSS assisted methods that do not require transmission of satellite ephemeris information from a base station to user equipment.

The invention refers to a method performed by a wireless device (10), for connecting to a second satellite (20b) in a non-terrestrial network, NTN, wherein the wireless device employs a first beamforming matrix for directing a radio beam from an antenna array of the wireless device to the a first satellite (20a), the method comprising determining an angular difference between the directions towards the first and the second satellite, determining a second beamforming matrix, for communication with the second satellite, based on a direction of the beam towards the first satellite and the determined difference in angles, and using the second beamforming matrix to configure a receiver and/or transmitter for connecting to the second satellite; the invention further refers to corresponding method performed by a network node comprising transmitting to the wireless device ephemeris data of the first and the second satellite order to allow the wireless device determining an angular difference between the directions towards the first and the second satellite; the invention further refers to a corresponding wireless device (10) and to a corresponding network node.

A high data rate distribution network for low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations is described. The high data rate distribution network includes multiple LEO constellations, each constellation including a number of LEO spacecraft orbiting in a LEO plane that are all connected together by by-directional free space optical links. The distribution network further includes geostationary earth orbit (GEO) spacecraft in communication with a number of ground gateways. The GEO spacecraft can receive forward communication traffic including radio-frequency (RF) and/or optical data streams uplinked from the ground gateways and can convert the received forward communication traffic into a forward aggregated traffic. The GEO spacecraft can further optically downlink the forward aggregated traffic to LEO spacecraft in a LEO constellation that is in line of sight of the GEO spacecraft. The forward aggregated traffic is then disaggregated among and received by the LEO spacecraft in the LEO constellation. Return communication traffic from each LEO spacecraft can also be aggregated into a return aggregated traffic from the LEO constellation. The return aggregated traffic is optically uplinked to a GEO spacecraft by a LEO spacecraft of the LEO constellation that is in line of sight of the GEO spacecraft. The GEO spacecraft converts the received return aggregate traffic into multiple RF and/or optical data streams that are down linked to a number of ground gateways.

A user terminal and a method of using the user terminal disclosed. The method may comprise: storing, at a user terminal (UT), a dataset that comprises a plurality of elements, wherein each of the plurality of elements is associated with a unique predetermined terrestrial location; using the dataset, determining an element (E.sub.k) from among the plurality of elements based on a proximity of the UT to the respective unique, predetermined terrestrial location of the element (E.sub.k); and then determining one of the plurality of satellite beams with which to utilize satellite communication.

Radio communications systems use 100 to 200 satellites in random low-earth orbits distributed over a predetermined range of north and south latitudes. The satellites themselves create a radio route between ground stations via radio links between multiple satellites by virtue of onboard global navigation satellite system circuitry for determining the location of the satellite and route creation circuitry for calculating in real time the direction from the satellite's location at a particular instant to a destination ground station. Directional antennas in the satellites transmit routing radio signals to enhance the probability of reception by other satellites. One embodiment facilitates the creation of satellite-to-satellite links by assigning each satellite a unique identifier, storing orbital information defining the locations of all of the orbiting satellites in the system at any particular time, and including in the radio signal the unique identifier associated with the transmitting satellite.