Access Inequality in LEO Satellite Networks: A Case Study of High-Latitude Coverage in Northern Québec
Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks play a crucial role in bridging the digital divide, particularly in remote and high-latitude regions. However, access inequality remains a significant challenge, limiting broadband connectivity for communities in northern areas compared to mid-latitude urban...
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IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Open Journal of Vehicular Technology |
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| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11021288/ |
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| author | Mohammed Almekhlafi Antoine Lesage-Landry Gunes Karabulut Kurt |
| author_facet | Mohammed Almekhlafi Antoine Lesage-Landry Gunes Karabulut Kurt |
| author_sort | Mohammed Almekhlafi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks play a crucial role in bridging the digital divide, particularly in remote and high-latitude regions. However, access inequality remains a significant challenge, limiting broadband connectivity for communities in northern areas compared to mid-latitude urban regions. This study reviews recent advancements in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). We conduct a detailed analysis of coverage disparities in LEO satellite networks considering LEO networks, namely Starlink, Telesat-like, Kuiper-like, and OneWeb, with a specific focus on Québec, Canada versus urban centers in New York City, USA. Our findings highlight a significant disparity in the number of visible satellites resulting in increased transmission delays and reduced network reliability in high-latitude regions. Additionally, we observe that higher elevation angles, more accessible in mid-latitude regions especially for Starlink and Kuiper, contribute to superior signal quality and transmission rates. To mitigate this gap, we propose an inter-constellation/orbit roaming mechanism that enables ground users to be served by different LEO constellations—leveraging OneWeb's and Telesat's strong polar coverage along with the high satellite density of Starlink and Kuiper at mid-latitudes. Jointly, terrestrial network (TN) expansion can enhance signal quality and transmission efficiency, particularly in underserved areas where NTNs act as edge computing and backhaul infrastructures. Additionally, the associated challenges—such as roaming handovers, and radio resource and network slicing management are discussed in detail, where designing a unified management and control entity to ensure seamless interoperability is not a trivial task. Furthermore, we envision wireless power transfer through either relay-based (ground-to-satellite-to-ground) or direct (satellite-to-ground) power beaming as a sustainable approach to energize TN components in remote regions. These strategies collectively support the scalability and resilience of NTNs in bridging the global access inequality. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d7823c84900f4046bbb3f2d1ffe5b993 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2644-1330 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IEEE Open Journal of Vehicular Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-d7823c84900f4046bbb3f2d1ffe5b9932025-08-20T03:32:41ZengIEEEIEEE Open Journal of Vehicular Technology2644-13302025-01-0161613163010.1109/OJVT.2025.357554611021288Access Inequality in LEO Satellite Networks: A Case Study of High-Latitude Coverage in Northern QuébecMohammed Almekhlafi0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7798-8518Antoine Lesage-Landry1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9652-6557Gunes Karabulut Kurt2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7188-2619Department of Electrical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal & Poly-Grames, Montreal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Mila & GERAD, Montreal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal & Poly-Grames, Montreal, QC, CanadaLow Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks play a crucial role in bridging the digital divide, particularly in remote and high-latitude regions. However, access inequality remains a significant challenge, limiting broadband connectivity for communities in northern areas compared to mid-latitude urban regions. This study reviews recent advancements in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). We conduct a detailed analysis of coverage disparities in LEO satellite networks considering LEO networks, namely Starlink, Telesat-like, Kuiper-like, and OneWeb, with a specific focus on Québec, Canada versus urban centers in New York City, USA. Our findings highlight a significant disparity in the number of visible satellites resulting in increased transmission delays and reduced network reliability in high-latitude regions. Additionally, we observe that higher elevation angles, more accessible in mid-latitude regions especially for Starlink and Kuiper, contribute to superior signal quality and transmission rates. To mitigate this gap, we propose an inter-constellation/orbit roaming mechanism that enables ground users to be served by different LEO constellations—leveraging OneWeb's and Telesat's strong polar coverage along with the high satellite density of Starlink and Kuiper at mid-latitudes. Jointly, terrestrial network (TN) expansion can enhance signal quality and transmission efficiency, particularly in underserved areas where NTNs act as edge computing and backhaul infrastructures. Additionally, the associated challenges—such as roaming handovers, and radio resource and network slicing management are discussed in detail, where designing a unified management and control entity to ensure seamless interoperability is not a trivial task. Furthermore, we envision wireless power transfer through either relay-based (ground-to-satellite-to-ground) or direct (satellite-to-ground) power beaming as a sustainable approach to energize TN components in remote regions. These strategies collectively support the scalability and resilience of NTNs in bridging the global access inequality.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11021288/Access inequalitydigital dividelow Earth orbitnon-terrestrial networks |
| spellingShingle | Mohammed Almekhlafi Antoine Lesage-Landry Gunes Karabulut Kurt Access Inequality in LEO Satellite Networks: A Case Study of High-Latitude Coverage in Northern Québec IEEE Open Journal of Vehicular Technology Access inequality digital divide low Earth orbit non-terrestrial networks |
| title | Access Inequality in LEO Satellite Networks: A Case Study of High-Latitude Coverage in Northern Québec |
| title_full | Access Inequality in LEO Satellite Networks: A Case Study of High-Latitude Coverage in Northern Québec |
| title_fullStr | Access Inequality in LEO Satellite Networks: A Case Study of High-Latitude Coverage in Northern Québec |
| title_full_unstemmed | Access Inequality in LEO Satellite Networks: A Case Study of High-Latitude Coverage in Northern Québec |
| title_short | Access Inequality in LEO Satellite Networks: A Case Study of High-Latitude Coverage in Northern Québec |
| title_sort | access inequality in leo satellite networks a case study of high latitude coverage in northern qu x00e9 bec |
| topic | Access inequality digital divide low Earth orbit non-terrestrial networks |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11021288/ |
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