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Positioning, Navigation and Timing using Non-Terrestrial Networks
Antwerpen | More than two weeks ago
Revolutionize worldwide localization through global connectivity provided by satellites in Low Earth Orbit.
Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) are revolutionizing large-scale wireless communication. Instead of deploying terrestrial 5G gateways with limited coverage, satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) will provide worldwide 6G connectivity. The latest 3GPP Releases provide Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services from LEO satellites [1]. The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch their first LEO-PNT satellites soon [2].
The goal of the PhD research is to analyze, simulate and experimentally validate the performance of LEO-PNT in terms of accuracy, availability, coverage, energy consumption and security (amongst others). By quantifying these metrics, the application potential will become clear for industry players. Potential applications include satellite IoT, autonomous driving, container tracking and logistics. Another important goal is to research how LEO-PNT can seamlessly integrate with terrestrial PNT technologies.
The PhD candidate will be part of a large research group at IMEC working on wireless connectivity solutions with topics such as Joint Communication and Sensing, Sustainable Intelligent Systems and Non-Terrestrial Networks. You will have the unique opportunity to present your research at conferences and publish in top-level journals.
[1] https://www.3gpp.org/technologies/ntn-overview
[2] https://www.esa.int/Applications/Satellite_navigation/LEO-PNT
The PhD candidate will be part of a large research group at IMEC working on wireless connectivity solutions with topics such as Joint Communication and Sensing, Sustainable Intelligent Systems and Non-Terrestrial Networks. You will have the unique opportunity to present your research at conferences and publish in top-level journals.
[1] https://www.3gpp.org/technologies/ntn-overview
[2] https://www.esa.int/Applications/Satellite_navigation/LEO-PNT
Required background: Signal processing, wireless communications, bonus: aerospace engineering
Type of work: 60% implementation/experimentation, 30% modeling/simulation, 10% literature
Supervisor: Maarten Weyn
Co-supervisor: Christian Bachmann
Daily advisor: Thomas Janssen
The reference code for this position is 2025-085. Mention this reference code on your application form.