ICUMT 2025

ITA-NTN 6G: Integrated Terrestrial And Non-Terrestrial Networks Driving 6G Innovation

November 3 - 5, 2025, Florence, Italy

The ITA-NTN 6G workshop is both timely and crucial due to the ongoing evolution of Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and their role in shaping the future 6G global communications. NTNs, introduced in 3GPP Release 17 within the framework of 5G, have aimed to extend network coverage beyond traditional terrestrial infrastructures, reaching remote, underserved, and difficult-to-access areas through satellites (GEO, MEO, LEO), UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems), and High-Altitude Platforms (HAPs). As 6G approaches, the native Integration of Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks (ITA-NTN) will become essential in providing seamless, high-quality, and resilient services globally.

However, achieving the optimized Integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks within a unified 3D network architecture introduces several significant technical challenges. The workshop will tackle and cover issues such as:

1. Network Integration and Topology Management: The integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks requires sophisticated solutions to manage complex network topologies, ensuring smooth interaction between TNs and NTNs. This includes optimizing handovers and mobility management, especially in dynamic environments like aerial platforms.
2. Radio Resource Optimization: Allocating and optimizing resources in NTN systems, particularly across different frequency bands like millimeter-wave, terahertz, and optical communications, is essential to maximize the efficiency of network operations, especially in high-density areas.
3. Massive MIMO and Multi-Antenna Technologies: Given the specific constraints of NTNs, new approaches for massive MIMO and multi-antenna configurations need to be developed. This will enhance capacity and robustness, enabling better support for applications such as IoT and augmented/virtual reality.
4. Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: NTNs, especially satellites, operate in energy-constrained environments. Addressing these challenges with energy-optimized protocols, adaptive modulation techniques, and low-power designs is critical for long-term sustainability.
5. Security, Privacy, and Trust: The expansion of networks into non-terrestrial domains increases the attack surface, making security and privacy management a central issue. Safeguarding data integrity across the broader TN/NTN ecosystem will be essential to ensuring trust.
6. Artificial Intelligence and Distributed Computing: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and distributed computing architectures, such as edge and fog computing, can enhance the intelligence of NTN systems, improving adaptability and real-time optimization of network resources.

Given the rise of vertical applications, including satellite communications for disaster recovery, eHealth, and aeronautical communications, the workshop will foster discussions that will shape the regulatory, technical, and operational frameworks of 6G. The urgency to address these challenges underscores the timeliness of this workshop, providing a platform for leading researchers and industry stakeholders to contribute toward the development of future network infrastructures.

Call for Papers

Prospective authors are invited to submit full-length original and previously unpublished papers. Submitted papers will be peer-reviewed by at least two members of the Scientific Programme Committee. The congress organizers reserve the right to not include a paper to the Proceedings if the congress registration fee is not paid or if the paper is not presented on the ICUMT 2025 congress.

Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), introduced with 5G through 3GPP Release 17, aim to expand global coverage to support applications requiring high resilience. With 6G, the native Integration of Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks (ITA-NTN) is expected to optimize services and enhance performance and quality, particularly in remote areas. Indeed, NTNs, operating in either transparent or regenerative mode, will provide connectivity in locations that are difficult for Terrestrial Networks (TNs) to reach, utilizing satellites in GEO, MEO, and LEO orbits, along with aerial platforms such as UAS and High-Altitude Platforms (HAP). Consequently, the ITA-NTN into an optimized 3D infrastructure is anticipated to bring significant benefits to future 6G networks, enabling them to support key applications such as IoT communications, mobile broadband, and augmented and virtual reality. However, this evolution presents several technical challenges, including managing complex network topologies, integrating networks, optimizing radio resources, and addressing energy constraints. The ITA-NTN 6G Workshop serves as a venue for exploring significant technological advancements, addressing research challenges, and discussing future developments.

Topics covered in the workshop may include, but are not limited to:

• TN/NTN integration (ITA-NTN) in 6G
• Standardization and regulatory aspects for TN/NTN in 6G
• Physical layer design for TN/NTN 6G networks
• Channel modeling and multi-antenna technologies for NTNs
• Communications above 6 GHz: millimeter-wave, terahertz, and optical communications for NTNs
• Massive-MIMO technologies for NTNs
• Network architectures and protocols for NTN-TN integration in 6G
• Optimization of resource allocation and routing in NTNs
• Broadcast/multicast communications and network virtualization in NTNs
• SDN and NFV solutions for TN/NTNs
• Cloud, edge, and fog architectures to support NTNs
• AI and distributed computing for TN/NTNs
• Open RAN architectures and intelligent controllers for NTNs
• Mobility management and handover for TN/NTN 6G networks
• Sustainability and energy optimization for TN/NTNs
• Security, privacy, and trust management in NTNs
• Use cases and vertical applications enabled by TN/NTNs
• Satellite applications for disaster recovery, eHealth, and aeronautical communications

Submission Instructions

Authors should prepare a PDF file following the IEEE single-space, two-column format using at least 10-point size type. The paper must be correctly formatted to fit on A4. The paper should not exceed 6 pages including figures, tables & references. Maximum 4 additional pages are allowed. Additional pages will be overcharged. The papers cannot exceed 10 pages, otherwise they will be automatically rejected. The cost of overcharge per page is indicated in the Registration Fees. The paper must be submitted in PDF format via the EDAS System. The list of authors in the submitted manuscript should correspond to the list of the authors in EDAS. The ITA-NTN 6G workshop proceedings will be included into the ICUMT proceedings and will be together submitted for indexing in the IEEE, and Scopus databases.

Workshop Organizers

Simone Morosi, University of Florence, Italy (simone.morosi@unifi.it)
Arcangela Rago, Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy (arcangela.rago@poliba.it)
Giuseppe Araniti, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, Italy (araniti@unirc.it) 
Sara Pizzi, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, Italy (sara.pizzi@unirc.it)
Francesco Matera, Fondazione Ugo Bordoni, Italy (fmatera@fub.it)