Open Lecture 11 — Non-Terrestrial Networks for 6G: Toward Seamless Network Convergence

The one6G Open Lectures are coming back! After a short break, the one6G Association is delighted to announce that Open Lecture 11 will take place on January 22, 2026, at 14h00 CET, focusing on one of the most transformative areas of 6G research: Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) and their role in achieving seamless network convergence.

Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) refer to radio access networks where the access nodes are carried on platforms hovering high above the terrestrial surface – in the air or in space – including high-altitude platforms (HAPs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and satellites. While 5G New Radio (NR) was originally designed as a terrestrial network (TN), it has since been extended to support NTN components, expanding coverage for its main services and enabling communication through any network node via the same end device.

The vision for 6G goes far beyond this extension. It envisages a full integration of NTN and TN at the network infrastructure level, leading to true network convergence. In this future, all radio services could be delivered seamlessly through any node (terrestrial or non-terrestrial) and completely transparent to the user. This paradigm promises to finally realize the longstanding goal of ubiquitous, resilient, and borderless connectivity, ensuring service continuity anytime and everywhere – a promise of mobile radio given ever since its previous generations. Integrated NTN–TN architectures also offer various possibilities to advance sustainability goals, facilitated by satellite-based services addressing climate issues, enabling greener communication networks, and helping to reduce the global digital divide.

Moderated by Dr. Malte Schellmann, Principal Research Engineer at Huawei Technologies German Research Center, one6G Open Lecture 11 will explore the technological, architectural, and regulatory aspects of NTN/TN convergence, its challenges, and its potential to close global coverage gaps. The event will feature four distinguished speakers who will share insights into the latest research directions, use cases, and standardization activities paving the way toward fully integrated 6G networks.

Join us on January 22, 2026, at 2 p.m. CET to discover how 6G is extending connectivity beyond the Earth’s surface.

Participation is free, but registration is mandatory. Please click the button below to secure your spot.