Emerging Trends in Space–Air–Ground Integrated Networking and Communication Systems

Dear Colleagues,

As society undergoes a comprehensive transformation towards intelligence and digitalization, the demand for truly ubiquitous and seamless connectivity is extending beyond terrestrial boundaries. This has led to the emergence of Space–Air–Ground Integrated (SAGI) Networking as a key paradigm for future sixth-generation (6G) systems. This Special Issue aims to explore the new network paradigms required as we transition from fifth-generation (5G) to 6G, with a specific focus on the architecture, technologies, and applications of SAGI systems.

The vision for 6G includes stringent new demands for global coverage, extreme capacity, ultra-low latency, and massive connectivity. SAGI networks, by deeply integrating satellite constellations, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms, and terrestrial communication networks (including radio access networks and mobile vehicle networks), are uniquely positioned to meet these challenges. This integration creates a hierarchical, resilient, and intelligent infrastructure capable of providing seamless service continuity and ubiquitous connectivity, from dense urban centers to remote and underserved areas.

Furthermore, the pervasive presence of dense, intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) devices and user devices within this integrated network opens up new possibilities. These ubiquitous devices can act as edge nodes, collaborating with the SAGI network to enable advanced cloud, fog, and edge computing services, thus bringing computation closer to the data source. In addition, these advanced SAGI networks are expected to deeply integrate other promising 6G technologies to further enhance performance, such as Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS), terahertz (THz) communications, and massive MIMO. We aim to bring together cutting-edge research that addresses the fundamental challenges of these future networks in terms of scalability, efficiency, intelligence, and security.

The aim of this Special Issue of Electronics is to present the emerging trends in SAGI networking and communication systems. We invite researchers to contribute original and unique articles, as well as sophisticated review articles. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Satellite networking and communication systems;
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) networking and communication systems;
• 5G-A/6G radio access network;
• Internet of Things (IoT) networking and communication systems;
• Cloud, fog, and edge computing paradigms;
• AI-empowered SAGI network;
• Federated Learning in SAGI network;
• Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC)-empowered SAGI network;
• Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS)-empowered SAGI network;
• Terahertz (THz)-empowered SAGI network;
• Massive MIMO-empowered SAGI network;
• Security and privacy preservation in SAGI network.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Chao Zhu
Dr. Yaxi Liu
Dr. Xuhui Ding
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• space–air–ground integrated (SAGI) networking
• AI-empowered SAGI network
• IoT networking and communication systems
• UAV networking
• integrated sensing and communication
• massive MIMO-security and privacy preservation