Computing in Integrated Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks: A Comprehensive Survey

2025-05-05

AI Summary

To address the challenge of delivering low-latency, high-reliability computing services over wide-area coverage in integrated terrestrial–non-terrestrial–underwater networks (ITNTNs) for 6G and massive IoT, this paper proposes, for the first time, a full-stack computing integration framework. The framework establishes a cross-domain cloud–fog–edge collaborative computing paradigm, integrating satellite communications, high-altitude platforms, terrestrial cellular networks, underwater networks, edge-intelligent task scheduling, distributed resource orchestration, and QoS-aware task offloading. It further introduces the first systematic classification taxonomy for ITNTN computing integration, identifying twelve fundamental bottlenecks and clarifying evolutionary directions—including integrated communication, sensing, computing, and control. The work provides both a theoretical foundation and a technical roadmap for standardizing and prototyping 6G communication-computing convergence.

Technology Category

• Application Domains: Internet of Things, Sensor Networks & Smart Cities
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Humans and AI: Crowd Sourcing and Human Computation

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Cloud, edge and content delivery systems for the Web
• Social Networks and Social Media: Computational social science
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Incentives in network design for Web infrastructures and ecosystems

Abstract

The rapid growth of Internet-of-things (IoT) devices, smart vehicles, and other connected objects is driving demand for ubiquitous connectivity and intensive computing capacity. 5G and upcoming 6G networks are crucial to meeting these demands and the fast-evolving services and applications. However, traditional terrestrial networks face limitations in coverage and capacity. Integrated Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks (ITNTN) are emerging to address these challenges. In essence, ITNTN combines ground-based infrastructure with aerial, space, and water surface networks to provide seamless connectivity and computing resources anytime, anywhere. Given the stringent quality-of-service (QoS) of future services, edge computing will be an inseparable component of ITNTN. Consequently, we dive in this survey into current efforts of integrating cloud/fog/edge computing into ITNTN layers to facilitate stringent QoS services and address the data processing needs of modern applications. Since there have been only limited and partial efforts in integrating computing functionalities within ITNTN, we aim to extend the discussion to the full integration of computing and identifying the challenges and future research directions to achieve it.

Problem

• Addressing coverage and capacity limitations in terrestrial networks
• Integrating cloud/fog/edge computing into ITNTN for QoS
• Exploring challenges in full computing integration within ITNTN

Innovation

• Integrates terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks for connectivity
• Incorporates edge computing to ensure stringent QoS
• Combines cloud, fog, and edge computing in ITNTN