Feasibility Analysis of Isolation-Based Spectrum Sharing Between Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks

The rise of data-intensive applications necessitates development of techniques that maximize the use of scarce spectrum. This paper carries out the feasibility analysis of spectrum sharing between 5G-based terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. Three spectrum sharing strategies- spatiotemporal spectrum sharing, spectrum reuse, and dynamic spectrum sharing are identified. The paper illustrates these methodologies and summarizes their benefits and challenges. Spectrum reuse between an outdoor NTN and an indoor TN network is analyzed in detail using suitable radio propagation models and multiple analysis scenarios. Sensitivity analysis with critical system parameters such as the co-channel interference distance and the number of interfering transmitters is also carried out. The paper concludes that it is feasible to implement a spectrum sharing strategy that enables spectrum reuse between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.