Challenges and Solutions for Routing in Converged Satellite and Terrestrial Networks

A converged satellite and terrestrial network (CSTN) can be used for globally unified networking in areas where there is no infrastructure. However, the different characteristics between a satellite network and a terrestrial network lead to researches on converged network architectures, data transmission methods, resource managements, and etc. In this paper, we deal with these research issues in terms of efficient routing of user data and the employment of routing protocols in the CSTNs. First, we suggest a network architecture for the selection of efficient routing path based on several design criteria. Then, we figure out issues and their solutions when a dynamic routing protocol is applied to the CSTNs. These issues are focused on the signaling process for connection setup and maintenance, resource allocation for a satellite link, and mobility management. We have shown that the CSTNs can achieve the efficient routing path selection, increase channel utilization, and decrease signaling overheads for the exchange of routing information by using the suggested solutions.