DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTIGATION OF AN SDN MODEL FOR MULTISERVICE TRAFFIC TRANSMISSION IN LEO SATELLITE COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

Mikhail S. Stepanov
MTUCI, Moscow, Russia,
m.s.stepanov@mtuci.ru

Domingos Sanca Walter
Universidade Amílcar Cabral (UAC), Bissau, Guinea-Bissau,
sancawalter@gmail.com

DOI: 10.36724/2664-066X-2026-12-3-30-37

SYNCHROINFO JOURNAL. Volume 12, Number 3 (2026). P. 30-37.

Abstract

This article focuses on the development and simulation-based study of a model for multiservice traffic transmission in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication networks. The relevance of this work stems from the rapid expansion of LEO satellite constellations and the need to ensure guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) for latency-sensitive applications. The objective is to construct a model that accounts for the dynamic topology of LEO networks – specifically, frequent handovers – and provides differentiated service for four traffic classes: real-time traffic with strict (RT1) and relaxed (RT2) requirements, interactive (INT) traffic, and best-effort (BE) traffic. The model is based on Software-Defined Networking (SDN) principles, employing priority-based scheduling disciplines and queue management mechanisms. The effectiveness of the proposed solutions was evaluated through discrete-event simulation using the ns-3 simulator, with subsequent data analysis performed in MATLAB. The results demonstrate that, compared to a standard FIFO (First-In, First-Out) scheme, the proposed approach significantly reduces both latency and packet loss for real-time traffic across various LEO network load levels.

Keywords:  low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network, multiservice traffic, QoS, SDN, handover, NS-3, FlowMonitor

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