5G control plane-enabled BDS ubiquitous spatiotemporal networks: key technologies, applications, and future challenges

Abstract Applications such as the Industrial Internet, Internet of Vehicles, smart cities, and emergency response impose stringent requirements on ubiquitous spatiotemporal services, demanding Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) capabilities with high precision, low latency, high reliability, and operational stability..The Evolution of Fifth-Generation (5G) mobile communication networks provides a novel technical pathway for the networked, large-scale, and refined operation of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) PNT services. In particular, the capabilities of Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) and Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC) provide important support for low-latency service delivery and massive terminal access. To meet the future demands of massive concurrent terminal access and continuous coverage in complex environments, the existing BDS high-precision service system must overcome three core bottlenecks. First, redundant construction and limited coverage of reference station infrastructure; second, the low efficiency of user-plane point-to-point unicast transmission of augmentation information for massive users; third, insufficient capability for fine-grained monitoring and guarantee of service quality. From the distinctive perspective of 5G control plane capabilities, this paper systematically reviews three key technologies: upgrading integrated BDS/5G base stations, transmitting BDS augmentation information and ensuring service quality through the control plane, and evaluating site selection and deployment strategies for integrated base stations. On this basis, this paper provides an in-depth analysis of the enabling mechanisms and typical implementation pathways of the integrated system across five core domains: positioning, navigation, timing, communication, and sensing. It then examine future trends in integrated communication and navigation and space-ground integrated networks, and identifies key research challenges, including standardization and the development of unified spatiotemporal system The findings of this work provide a comprehensive reference for the system design, standardization, and engineering implementation of BDS-based ubiquitous spatiotemporal networks.