Method in a wireless telecommunications network

Abstract

The invention provides a method in a wireless telecommunication network, the wireless telecommunication network comprising: one or more gateways; a plurality of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, RISs; and a plurality of non-terrestrial access points; the method comprising the steps of: detecting a trigger for developing a connection in the wireless telecommunication network; obtaining data identifying requirements for performance parameters of the connection; obtaining data for a first candidate connection, the first candidate connection comprising a connection between at least two non-terrestrial access points via respective RISs of the plurality of RISs, the data identifying first values for performance parameters of the first candidate connection; comparing the first values for performance parameters of the first candidate connection with the requirements for performance parameters of the connection; and developing the connection based on the comparison.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method in a wireless telecommunications network. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless telecommunications networks typically include terrestrial access points (e.g., base stations) that communicate with terrestrial user equipment (UEs). The term Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) encompasses any network that includes air vehicles and includes satellite communication networks, High Altitude Platform (HAP) networks, air-to-ground networks, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Air vehicles (e.g., satellites, HAP vehicles (e.g., airplanes, balloons, airships, etc.) or UAVs) may include access points (“non-terrestrial access points”). Figure 1 An example NTN is illustrated, comprising a core network, terrestrial base stations, a gateway, a non-terrestrial access point (NTP), and a UE. The core network and terrestrial base stations can be connected, for example, via an NG interface. The base stations can be connected to the gateway, which provides a feed link to the NTP. The NTP is connected to the UE, for example, via a serving link through an NR-Uu interface. Therefore, user plane and control plane services can be transmitted between the UE and the core network via the NG interface, the feed link, and the serving link.

[0003] The NTN 100 also includes a control station 140 and a command and control center 150. The command and control center 150 is configured to communicate with each of the multiple non-terrestrial access points 130 via a command and control (“C2”) link through the control station 130. The C2 link is a highly reliable link, separate from the feed link, used for, for example, transmitting telemetry commands, telemetry data, and air traffic control communications.

[0004] In an NTN comprising multiple non-terrestrial access points, it is desirable to provide connectivity between these non-terrestrial access points. These connections can utilize free-space optics or active phased array antennas, requiring each air vehicle to include dedicated communication equipment (in addition to wireless telecommunications equipment used for feed links and service links). This additional equipment increases the weight of the air vehicle, which reduces its mission time (i.e., the time the air vehicle spends flying). Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the invention, a method is provided in a wireless telecommunications network, the wireless telecommunications network comprising: one or more gateways; a plurality of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS); and a plurality of non-terrestrial access points; the method comprising the steps of: detecting a trigger for developing a connection in the wireless telecommunications network; obtaining data identifying requirements for performance parameters of the connection; obtaining data for a first candidate connection, the first candidate connection comprising a connection between at least two non-terrestrial access points via a respective RIS of the plurality of RIS, the data identifying a first value of the performance parameters of the first candidate connection; comparing the first value of the performance parameters of the first candidate connection with the requirements for the performance parameters of the connection; and developing the connection based on the comparison.

[0006] The comparison step can indicate that the first value of the performance parameter of the first candidate connection meets the requirements for the performance parameter of the connection.

[0007] The method may further include the following steps: obtaining data for a second candidate connection, the second candidate connection comprising a connection between at least two non-terrestrial access points via a respective RIS of the plurality of RISs, the data identifying a first value of the performance parameter of the second candidate connection; comparing the first value of the performance parameter of the second candidate connection with the requirement of the performance parameter of the connection, wherein both the first value of the performance parameter of the first candidate connection and the first value of the performance parameter of the second candidate connection satisfy the requirement of the performance parameter of the connection; selecting one of the first candidate connection and the second candidate connection, wherein the step of developing the connection uses the selected first candidate connection or the second candidate connection.

[0008] The method may further include the step of identifying candidate reconfigurations of the wireless telecommunication network, wherein the first candidate connection may be based on the wireless telecommunication network reconfigured with the candidate reconfiguration.

[0009] The method may further include the step of identifying one or more candidate reconfigurations of the wireless telecommunication network, wherein the first candidate connection and the second candidate connection are based on the wireless telecommunication network that has been reconfigured with one or more of the candidate reconfigurations.

[0010] A connection is developed in response to one or more of the following: a new non-terrestrial access point is connected to the wireless telecommunications network, and a new user equipment (UE) connection is being established in the wireless telecommunications network.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a computer program is provided, comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method of the first aspect of the present invention. The computer program may be stored on a computer-readable media. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To better understand the present invention, embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a conventional non-terrestrial wireless telecommunications network; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the first non-terrestrial wireless telecommunications network; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the second non-terrestrial wireless telecommunications network; and Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating one method. Detailed Implementation

[0013] Figure 2 A first non-terrestrial network (NTN) 100 is illustrated. The first NTN 100 is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 5th generation protocol and includes a core network 110, a gateway 120, multiple non-terrestrial access points 130, and user equipment (UEs). In this example, the non-terrestrial access points 130 are components of a high-altitude platform (HAP), such as an airplane, balloon, or airship.

[0014] Gateway 120 is configured to provide feed links to one or more of a plurality of non-terrestrial access points. Figure 2 In the example, gateway 120 provides a feed link to the first non-terrestrial access point 130a. The first NTN 100 may include one or more terrestrial access points (not shown) that can communicate with the non-terrestrial access points (and any UEs connected thereto) via gateway 120 and the feed link.

[0015] The first NTN 100 also includes a control station 140 and a command and control center 150. The command and control center 150 is configured to communicate with each of the multiple non-land access points 130 via a command and control (“C2”) link through the control station 140. The C2 link is a connection used to transmit, for example, telemetry commands, telemetry data, and air traffic control communications. This C2 link is highly reliable and decoupled from the feed link. Using this data, the command and control center 150 continuously monitors and controls the flight plans of each HAP.

[0016] The first NTN 100 also includes multiple reconfigurable smart surfaces (RIS) 160 and a controller 170. The RIS are described in more detail below. The controller 170 is connected to each RIS 160 and is configured to send configuration messages to each RIS 160. The controller 170 is also connected to each non-land access point 130 via a C2 link and is configured to send configuration messages to each non-land access point 130.

[0017] The first non-terrestrial access point 130a is configured to use the Uu interface to form a service link with the UE and is also configured to form a feed link with the gateway 120. In this example, the second non-terrestrial access point 130b cannot form a direct feed link with the gateway 120. This is solved by forming an indirect feed link with the gateway via the first non-terrestrial access point 130a. That is, the indirect feed link is formed as a first connection between the second non-terrestrial access point 130b and the first non-terrestrial access point 130a, and a second connection between the first non-terrestrial access point 130a and the gateway. Therefore, all control plane and user plane data (excluding any C2 data) communicating with the second non-terrestrial access point 130b (and any UE connected to the second non-terrestrial access point 130b) can use this indirect feed link with the gateway 120. Therefore, the first non-terrestrial access point 130a is configured to relay any control plane and user plane traffic associated with the second non-terrestrial access point 130b via a first connection between the first non-terrestrial access point 130a and the second non-terrestrial access point 130b. This first connection between the first non-terrestrial access point 130a and the second non-terrestrial access point 130b will now be described in more detail based on a RIS (Reference System) in one of a plurality of RIS 160. Figure 2 The second RIS 160b in the reflection.

[0018] The RIS 160 among multiple RIS 160s will now be described in more detail. Each RIS 160 can be an inexpensive, adaptive thin composite sheet and is capable of modifying radio waves incident on or passing through it in a programmable and controllable manner using external stimuli. This technology has been described by various names, including: large smart surface, reconfigurable reflective array, reconfigurable smart surface, smart reflective surface, software-controlled metasurface, and programmable surface. Each RIS 160 can operate in reflection and can include an array of reflective unit cells (e.g., diode-controlled unit cells). The unit cell separation determines the electromagnetic frequency of operation, and the controller 170 determines the reflective characteristics of the surface. Typically, the RIS 160 operates to produce variations in the electromagnetic waves incident on the RIS unit cells.

[0019] In the first NTN 100, the second RIS 160b is configured to reflect signals transmitted between the first non-land access point 130a and the second non-land access point 130b as part of a first connection between the first non-land access point 130a and the second non-land access point 130b. Proper reflection of these signals can be achieved by configuring the unit cells of the second RIS 160b. This configuration can utilize data regarding the location of each non-land access point, which can be received from the command and control center 150 at the controller 170, to determine the configuration of each unit cell of the second RIS 160b for reflecting signals between the first non-land access point 130a and the second non-land access point 130b. Alternatively, the second RIS 160b can be configured by a calibration phase in which multiple candidate configurations of the second RIS 160b are tested and the resulting performance of the first connection between the first non-land access point 130a and the second non-land access point 130b is measured, selecting the candidate configuration with the best performance. The second RIS 160b can be reconfigured to accommodate any changes in the first connection, such as changes in the relative positions of the first non-land access point 130a and the second non-land access point 130b.

[0020] Signals transmitted as part of the inter-non-terrestrial access point (HAP) connection via RIS 160 can be serving link signals (i.e., having the same form as the serving link signal between the HAP and the UE). Alternatively, signal communication as part of the HAP connection differs from the serving link signal (e.g., using different spectrum and / or radio equipment), but shares at least some of the equipment used for the serving link signal. Therefore, the same equipment used to form the connection between the HAP and the UE can be additionally used to form the HAP connection, eliminating the need for additional equipment (e.g., free-space optics) for the HAP connection. This reduces the weight of the HAP and thus increases mission time.

[0021] The RIS 160 can also be divided into multiple subarrays, each subarray comprising a subset of the reflective unit cells of an array of reflective unit cells. Each subarray can be controlled to independently reflect signals between non-terrestrial access points, such that the reflection of signals between a first set of non-terrestrial access points by the first subarray of the RIS 160 is independent of the reflection of signals between a second set of non-terrestrial access points by the second subarray of the RIS 160. Therefore, the controller 170 can be configured to control each subarray of the RIS 160 to reflect signals between non-terrestrial access points. Furthermore, the controller 170 can reconfigure the composition of each subarray, for example, by determining the number of reflective unit cells in each subarray and / or which reflective unit cells should form each subarray. Details of the formation and use of the RIS subarrays can be found, for example, in “A Dynamic Subarray Structure in Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces for TeraHertz Communication Systems,” Liu et al., https: / / arxiv.org / abs / 2206.14968.

[0022] In the following description, the term "cluster" will be used to define a group of non-land access points sharing a common feed link. Therefore, a cluster includes at least one non-land access point with a direct feed link (hereinafter, "primary non-land access point"), and may include one or more non-land access points with indirect feed links (hereinafter, "secondary non-land access points"). Non-land access points can be members of multiple clusters. Furthermore, each cluster may have one or more RIS, and RIS can be used for connectivity between non-land access points in different clusters.

[0023] Figure 3 A second NTN 200 is shown. The second NTN 200 includes a core network 210, a gateway 220, multiple non-terrestrial access points 230, a control station 240, a command and control center 250, multiple RIS 260s, and a controller 270. The second NTN 200 may also include one or more terrestrial base stations (not shown). The multiple non-terrestrial access points 230 include a primary non-terrestrial access point 230a with a direct connection to the gateway 220, a first primary non-terrestrial access point 230b with an indirect connection to the gateway 220, a second primary non-terrestrial access point 230c with an indirect connection to the gateway 220, and a third primary non-terrestrial access point 230d with an indirect connection to the gateway 220. Regarding the indirect connections, note the following: The indirect connection of the first non-land access point 230b includes the direct connection between the gateway 220 and the primary non-land access point 230a and the non-land access point connection between the primary non-land access point and the first non-land access point via the first RIS 260a of a plurality of RIS 260. The indirect connection of the second non-terrestrial access point 230c includes a direct connection between gateway 220 and primary non-terrestrial access point 230a, a non-terrestrial access point connection between primary non-terrestrial access point 230a and primary non-terrestrial access point 230b via a first RIS 260a, and a non-terrestrial access point connection between primary non-terrestrial access point 230b and second non-terrestrial access point 230c via a second RIS 260b among a plurality of RIS 260s; and The indirect connection of the third non-land access point 230d includes the direct connection between the gateway 220 and the primary non-land access point 230a, the non-land access point connection between the primary non-land access point 230a and the first non-land access point 230b via the first RIS 260a, the non-land access point connection between the first non-land access point 230b and the second non-land access point 230c via the second RIS 260b, and the non-land access point connection between the second non-land access point 230c and the third non-land access point 230d via the third RIS 260c among the multiple RISes.

[0024] Therefore, the indirect connection of the second non-land access point 230c and the indirect connection of the third non-land access point 230d are multi-hop non-land access point connections because they each include more than one non-land access point connection.

[0025] The second NTN 200 also includes the fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0026] Now refer to Figure 4 A method is described. In a first step (S101), controller 270 detects a trigger for developing a connection utilizing multi-hop non-terrestrial access point connections (e.g., creating a new connection or reconfiguring an existing connection). For example, controller 270 may detect a fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e that requires a new multi-hop non-terrestrial access point connection to gateway 220, or controller 270 may detect a new service link via an existing multi-hop non-terrestrial access point connection to gateway 220. The following description pertains to a scenario where controller 270 detects a fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e that requires a new connection to gateway 220.

[0027] In step S103, controller 270 determines one or more performance requirements for the connection to be established between gateway 220 and fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e. These performance requirements may be one or more communication characteristics for the indirect connection, such as receive power and latency. These performance requirements may be obtained from command and control center 250 and / or another gateway previously serving fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e. In the following description, fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e has latency requirements.

[0028] In step S105, controller 270 identifies each candidate connection between gateway 220 and the fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e. These candidate connections include all possible non-terrestrial access point connections via any RIS (and any subarray of each RIS) of the plurality of RIS 260. The identified candidate connections include (in particular): The first candidate connection is the direct connection between gateway 220 and fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e; The second candidate connection includes a direct connection between gateway 220 and primary non-land access point 230a, and a non-land access point connection between primary non-land access point 230a and fifth non-land access point 230e via first RIS 260a. The third candidate connection includes a direct connection between gateway 220 and the first non-land access point 230a, a non-land access point connection between the primary non-land access point 230a and the first secondary non-land access point 230b via the first RIS 260a, and a non-land access point connection between the first secondary non-land access point 230b and the fifth non-land access point 230e via the second RIS 260b. The fourth candidate connection includes a direct connection between gateway 220 and primary non-land access point 230a, a non-land access point connection between primary non-land access point 230a and first primary non-land access point 230b via a first RIS 260a, a non-land access point connection between first non-land access point 230b and second primary non-land access point 230c via a second RIS 260b, and a non-land access point connection between second primary non-land access point 230c and fifth non-land access point 230e via a third RIS 260c. The fifth candidate connection includes a direct connection between gateway 220 and primary non-land access point 230a, a non-land access point connection between primary non-land access point 230a and first primary non-land access point 230b via a first RIS 260a, a non-land access point connection between first primary non-land access point 230b and second primary non-land access point 230c via a first subarray of a second RIS 260b, and a non-land access point connection between second primary non-land access point 230c and fifth non-land access point 230e via a second subarray of a second RIS 260b. The sixth candidate connection includes a direct connection between gateway 220 and primary non-land access point 230a; a non-land access point connection between primary non-land access point 230a and first secondary non-land access point 230b via a first RIS 260a; a non-land access point connection between first secondary non-land access point 230b and second secondary non-land access point 230c via a second RIS 260b; a non-land access point connection between second secondary non-land access point 230c and third secondary non-land access point 230d via a first subarray of a third RIS 260c; and a non-land access point connection between third secondary non-land access point 230d and fifth non-land access point 230e via a second subarray of a third RIS 260c; and The seventh candidate connection includes a direct connection between gateway 220 and primary non-land access point 230a, a non-land access point connection between primary non-land access point 230a and secondary primary non-land access point 230c via a second RIS 260b, and a non-land access point connection between secondary primary non-land access point 230c and fifth non-land access point 230e via a third RIS 260c.

[0029] In step S107, controller 270 analyzes the identified candidate connections to eliminate infeasible connections (e.g., where a connection cannot be formed because the RIS cannot reflect the signal between the two nodes connecting the non-land access points of the candidate connection). In this example, feasible candidate connections include the fourth candidate connection and the sixth candidate connection.

[0030] In step S109, controller 270 estimates one or more performance values ​​for feasible candidate connections. The estimated performance values ​​are for the same characteristics as those required for indirect connections (as determined in step S103). In this example, controller 270 estimates the latency of each feasible candidate connection. The latency of the entire feasible candidate connection can be estimated, or the latency of a feasible candidate connection can be partially estimated and partially measured (i.e., for any portion of the feasible candidate connection already present in the second NTN 200). Any estimation or measurement can be performed on demand, or can be retrieved as a previously estimated or measured value (stored in memory at controller 170). The latency of each feasible candidate connection can be determined based on the corresponding propagation time of each hop in the feasible candidate connection and the corresponding processing time of each node in the feasible candidate connection. For example, the latency of the fourth candidate connection can be determined as the sum of the following: The propagation time between gateway 220 and primary non-terrestrial access point 230a (which can be estimated or measured). The processing time of the main non-terrestrial access point 230a (which can be estimated or measured). The propagation time between the primary non-terrestrial access point 230a and the first RIS 260a, and The propagation time between the first RIS 260a and the first non-terrestrial access point 230b (which can be estimated or measured). The initial processing time for the non-terrestrial access point 230b (which can be estimated or measured). The first is the propagation time between the non-terrestrial access point 230b and the second RIS 260b (which can be estimated or measured). Propagation time between the second RIS 260b and the second non-terrestrial access point 230c; The second processing time for the non-terrestrial access point 230c (which can be estimated or measured). The propagation time between the second non-terrestrial access point 230c and the third RIS 260c (which can be estimated or measured); and The propagation time between the third RIS 260c and the fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e (which can be estimated).

[0031] In this example, controller 270 estimates the delay of the fourth candidate connection as L4 and the delay of the sixth candidate connection as L5 (where L5 > L4).

[0032] In step S111, the controller 270 compares one or more estimated performance values ​​for each feasible candidate connection with the corresponding performance requirements of the connection between the gateway 220 and the new non-terrestrial access point. Possible results of this comparison include: 1) None of the one or more feasible candidate connections have estimated performance values ​​that meet the corresponding performance requirements. 2) One of the one or more feasible candidate connections has an estimated performance value that satisfies the corresponding performance requirements, and 3) Two or more feasible candidate connections have estimated performance values ​​that meet the corresponding performance requirements.

[0033] In the first scenario, Figure 4 After step S113, the controller 270 performs one or more of the following actions: 1) Deny the connection between gateway 220 and fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e; 2) Accept the connection between gateway 220 and fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e, but reduce the service level provided by fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e; 3) Identify one or more candidate reconfigurations of the second NTN 200 that enable one or more additional candidate connections between the gateway 220 and the fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e (which would otherwise be infeasible without the reconfiguration of the second NTN 200). The additional candidate connections can then be analyzed to determine whether they meet the performance requirements of the connections.

[0034] An example of the third option in step S113 will now be described. Candidate reconfigurations of the second NTN 200 include: reconfiguring the inter-non-land access point connection between the primary non-land access point 230a and the first primary non-land access point 230b via the first RIS 260a to a first subarray of the first RIS 260a; and reconfiguring the inter-non-land access point connection between the first primary non-land access point 230b and the second primary non-land access point 230c via the second RIS 260b to a second subarray of the first RIS 260a. This candidate reconfiguration enables the existence of additional feasible candidate connections between gateway 220 and the fifth non-land access point 230e. These additional feasible candidate connections include a direct connection between gateway 220 and the first non-land access point 230a, a non-land access point connection between the primary non-land access point 230a and the first secondary non-land access point 230b via a first subarray of the first RIS 260a, and a non-land access point connection between the first secondary non-land access point 230b and the fifth non-land access point 230e via a second RIS 260b.

[0035] In the second case of step S111, in Figure 4 Following step S115 (where one of the one or more feasible candidate connections has an estimated performance value that meets the corresponding performance requirements), controller 270 accepts the connection between gateway 220 and the fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e by using a feasible candidate connection from the one or more feasible candidate connections that has an estimated performance value that meets the corresponding performance requirements. Therefore, controller 270 sends instruction messages to each entity to implement the candidate connection. These instruction messages can be sent to any entity that needs to be reconfigured or needs to be aware of the reconfiguration of another entity (e.g., for recording in memory).

[0036] In the third case of step S111, Figure 4 Following step S117 (where two or more feasible candidate connections have estimated performance values ​​that meet the corresponding performance requirements), controller 270 selects a feasible candidate connection from the two or more feasible candidate connections that has an estimated performance value that meets the corresponding performance requirements. The selection criteria may be based on one or more of the following: performance value (e.g., optimal latency or capacity), the number of available reflective elements at each RIS utilized in the candidate connection, and the candidate connection with the optimal link budget. Once a feasible candidate connection is selected, the method proceeds to step S115 (as described above).

[0037] As described above, additional candidate connections can be enabled through the reconfiguration of the second NTN 200, which can be triggered after the first scenario in step S111. If one or more additional candidate connections are enabled by the reconfiguration, the controller 270 can implement step S115 (and optionally S117 if multiple additional candidate connections exist) to implement the additional candidate connections. In this scenario, the instruction message can reconfigure entities that do not directly involve candidate connections to implement the reconfiguration of the second NTN 200.

[0038] Once connected, each non-terrestrial access point in the second NTN 200 can indicate its performance values ​​(e.g., its latency) to the user equipment (UE). These performance values ​​can be part of a broadcast message, such as a System Information Block (SIB) message, so that they can also be decoded by idle UEs in addition to the connected UEs. The UE can then use these performance values ​​to determine which non-terrestrial access point to connect to (e.g., during cell selection or handover).

[0039] In the above description, non-terrestrial access points are part of HAP. However, this is not mandatory, and those skilled in the art will understand that other forms of non-terrestrial access points, such as satellites or UAVs, can be used in any combination.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above description, the trigger for developing connections utilizing multi-hop non-terrestrial access point connections (e.g., creating new connections or reconfiguring existing connections) is the controller 270 detecting a fifth non-terrestrial access point 230e that requires a new connection to gateway 220. However, this method is also applicable to other triggers, such as new connections between gateway 220 and new / existing UEs via existing multi-hop non-terrestrial access point connections to gateway 220. That is, when a new serving link is required, for example when a UE is attempting to connect to a second NTN 200, the above method can be used to identify connections (including multi-hop non-terrestrial access point connections and serving links to the UE) that meet the performance requirements of the new serving link.

[0041] The second NTN 200 described above includes a single gateway. However, the second NTN 200 may include multiple gateways, and one or more of the multiple non-terrestrial access points 230 may connect to multiple gateways. In this scenario, the analysis of candidate connections may involve analyzing the candidate connections for each gateway, which may provide different performance values. Furthermore, candidate reconfiguration (described above in conjunction with step S113) may involve reconfiguring the second NTN 200 such that non-terrestrial access points with existing connections to gateway 220 are reconnected via different gateways.

[0042] Those skilled in the art will also understand that other performance characteristics, such as received power, can also be analyzed in the above methods.

[0043] Those skilled in the art will understand that any combination of features is possible within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless telecommunications network, the wireless telecommunications network comprising: One or more gateways; Multiple reconfigurable smart surface RIS; as well as Multiple non-land access points; The method includes the following steps: Detecting the triggering of connection development in the wireless telecommunications network; Obtain the required data to identify the performance parameters of the connection; Data for a first candidate connection is obtained, the first candidate connection comprising a connection between at least two non-terrestrial access points via a respective RIS of the plurality of RIS, the data identifying a first value of the performance parameter of the first candidate connection; Compare the first value of the performance parameter of the first candidate connection with the required performance parameter of the connection; and Based on the comparison, the connection is developed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The comparison step indicates that the first value of the performance parameter of the first candidate connection meets the requirements of the performance parameter of the connection.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the following steps: Data for a second candidate connection is obtained, the second candidate connection comprising a connection between at least two non-terrestrial access points via a respective RIS of the plurality of RIS, the data identifying a first value of the performance parameter of the second candidate connection; The first value of the performance parameter of the second candidate connection is compared with the requirement of the performance parameter of the connection, wherein the first value of the performance parameter of the first candidate connection and the first value of the performance parameter of the second candidate connection both satisfy the requirement of the performance parameter of the connection; Choose one of the first candidate connection and the second candidate connection. The step of developing the connection uses either a selected first candidate connection or a second candidate connection.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the following steps: Identify candidate reconfigurations for the wireless telecommunications network, wherein the first candidate connection is based on the wireless telecommunications network reconfigured with the candidate reconfiguration.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the following step: Identify one or more candidate reconfigurations of the wireless telecommunication network, wherein the first candidate connection and the second candidate connection are based on the wireless telecommunication network that has been reconfigured with one or more of the candidate reconfigurations.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The connection is developed in response to one or more of the following: The new non-terrestrial access point connects to the wireless telecommunications network, and Establish a new user equipment (UE) connection in the wireless telecommunications network.

7. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A computer-readable carrier medium comprising the computer program according to claim 7.

Images