UNITY-6G partners played a leading role in shaping the conversation on the future of 6G by co-organizing the workshop “Integrated 6G Architectures and Technologies for Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks” at the IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications (PIMRC) 2025, held on September 1–4, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey. The workshop was jointly organized with the 6G-NTN and 5G-STARDUST projects.
PIMRC, one of the flagship conferences of the IEEE Communications Society, gathered global experts in wireless communications and networking to exchange knowledge on emerging technologies. As 6G research and standardization activities accelerate following the 3GPP 6G Workshop in March 2025, this workshop provided a timely platform for advancing technical discussions on integrating terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (NTN).
Integrated 6G Architectures and Technologies for Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks
The workshop addressed one of the central challenges of 6G: how to seamlessly integrate terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks into a unified architecture. With the proliferation of satellites, high-altitude platforms, drones, and terrestrial systems, the heterogeneity of network nodes introduces significant complexity for service delivery in multi-layered, multi-frequency, and multi-mission environments.
A strong emphasis was also placed on sustainability, ensuring that future 6G networks not only push technological boundaries but also minimize environmental impact.
Key research contributions included:
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- Spectrum coexistence strategies
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- Seamless handover techniques between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks
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- Ensuring service continuity across diverse platforms
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- Optimization of drone-based NTN systems
By bringing together researchers and industry experts, the workshop shed light on how to achieve truly interoperable 6G networks that bridge terrestrial and satellite domains.
About IEEE PIMRC
Founded in 1989, the IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications (IEEE PIMRC) has grown into one of the two premier conferences of IEEE ComSoc in wireless communications and networking. PIMRC 2025 brought together a global community of researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers for four days of keynotes, panels, technical sessions, workshops, and tutorials, reinforcing its position as a key platform for shaping the wireless future.
