UNITY-6G partners Cristian J. Vaca-Rubio, Vaishnavi Kasuluru, Engin Zeydan, Luis Blanco, Roberto Pereira, Marius Caus, and Kapal Dev have published a research paper in IEEE Communications Standards Magazine. The paper, titled “Probabilistic Forecasting for Network Resource Analysis in Integrated Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks,” explores innovative forecasting techniques to enhance network resource management in hybrid terrestrial and satellite communications.
Abstract
Efficient resource management is critical for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) to provide consistent, high-quality service in remote and underserved regions. While traditional single-point prediction methods, such as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), have been used in terrestrial networks, they often fall short in NTNs due to the complexity of satellite dynamics, signal latency, and coverage variability.
Probabilistic forecasting, which quantifies the uncertainties of predictions, presents a robust alternative. In this paper, we evaluate the application of probabilistic forecasting techniques—specifically Simple Feed-Forward (SFF)—to NTN resource allocation scenarios. Our results demonstrate their effectiveness in predicting bandwidth and capacity requirements across different NTN segments when compared to single-point prediction techniques like LSTM.
The findings highlight the potential of probabilistic forecasting models to provide accurate and reliable predictions while quantifying uncertainty, making them indispensable for optimizing NTN resource allocation. Additionally, the paper outlines application scenarios and a standardization roadmap for implementing probabilistic forecasting in integrated Terrestrial Network (TN)-NTN environments.
Keywords—Probabilistic forecasting, non-terrestrial networks, O-RAN, autonomous networks, AI/ML
Read the full paper here to explore how probabilistic forecasting enhances TN-NTN network management.
About the authors
- Cristian J. Vaca-Rubio (Member, IEEE) – Researcher at the Telecommunications Technology Center of Catalonia (CTTC), Spain.
- Vaishnavi Kasuluru – Researcher at CTTC’s SRCOM Research Unit.
- Engin Zeydan – Senior Researcher at CTTC’s Services as Networks (SaS) group.
- Luis Blanco – Senior Researcher at CTTC.
- Roberto Pereira (Member, IEEE) – Researcher at CTTC’s Sustainable Artificial Intelligence (SAI) research unit.
- Marius Caus – Senior Researcher at CTTC.
- Kapal Dev – Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science, Munster Technological University (MTU), Ireland.
