FTA-NTN: Fairness and Throughput Assurance in Non-Terrestrial Networks

Abstract

Designing optimal non-terrestrial network (NTN) constellations is essential for maximizing throughput and ensuring fair resource distribution. This paper presents FTA-NTN (Fairness and Throughput Assurance in Non-Terrestrial Networks), a multi-objective optimization framework that jointly maximizes throughput and fairness under realistic system constraints. The framework integrates multi-layer Walker Delta constellations, a parametric mobility model for user distributions across Canadian land regions, adaptive K-Means clustering for beamforming and user association, and Bayesian optimization for parameter tuning. Simulation results with 500 users show that FTA-NTN achieves over 9.88 Gbps of aggregate throughput with an average fairness of 0.42, corresponding to an optimal configuration of 9 planes with 15 satellites per plane in LEO and 7 planes with 3 satellites per plane in MEO. These values align with 3GPP NTN evaluation scenarios and representative system assumptions, confirming their relevance for realistic deployments. Overall, FTA-NTN demonstrates that throughput and fairness can be jointly optimized under practical constraints, advancing beyond throughput-centric designs in the literature and offering a scalable methodology for next-generation NTN deployments that supports efficient and equitable global connectivity.