Handover-Optimal User Association Policy for LEO Satellite-based 5G NTN

2026-07-06

AI Summary

This work addresses the challenges posed by the high mobility of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, which induces frequent user handovers, leading to excessive signaling overhead, degraded user experience, and imbalanced satellite loads. For the first time, a spatially adaptive game-theoretic mechanism is introduced to the LEO user association problem, formulated within a game theory framework that jointly minimizes handover frequency and ensures load balancing. To this end, a low-complexity heuristic algorithm is proposed, which significantly reduces computational overhead while effectively decreasing handover occurrences and achieving balanced resource allocation, thereby offering a practical solution that maintains strong performance without sacrificing feasibility.

Abstract

The integration of Non Terrestrial Networks into 5G and beyond cellular systems has introduced a significant paradigm shift, enabling ubiquitous connectivity and extending services to previously unconnected and underserved remote regions. In particular, Low Earth Orbit satellites, operating close to the Earth surface, can provide communication latency comparable to that of terrestrial networks. However, due to their high mobility, LEO satellites trigger frequent handovers, which degrade users quality of experience and increase signaling overhead. In this work, our objective is to minimize the number of handovers in a LEO satellite system while preventing satellite overloading. We formulate the problem within a game theoretic framework and apply the Spatial Adaptive Play algorithm to obtain a handover efficient and load balanced solution. Additionally, we propose a low complexity heuristic algorithm to achieve similar objectives with reduced computational overhead.

Problem

• Handover
• LEO Satellite
• User Association
• 5G NTN
• Load Balancing

Innovation

• LEO satellites
• handover minimization
• user association
• game theory
• load balancing