Techno-economic evaluation of a brokerage role in the context of integrated satellite-5G networks

Abstract

The ever-increasing customer demand for emerging applications and services poses new technological as well as business challenges for the new 5G networks. To meet user’ expectations, satellite communication can complement terrestrial deployments, in some specific use cases. Though, integrating satellite and 5G needs close collaboration between different network operators, that have different backgrounds, which poses business and technical challenges. This paper aims to assess, from a business-model perspective, the role of a radio-resource broker in the satellite-5G network integration case. The paper concludes that efficiency gains can be result from using a broker, if specific technical challenges are overcome and if it is managed by a regulatory body. The broker analysis showed that three different business models of the broker can be realized, depending on which level the satellite operator could allow the broker to manage its network resources.