Adapting PHY layer procedures for a moving RAN in non-terrestrial networks

A wireless device operable to communicate with a network node of a communications network via a non-terrestrial communication path that comprises one of a plurality of satellites and one of a plurality of satellite gateways, wherein the wireless device comprising:

• processing circuitry;
• and
• memory coupled with the processing circuitry, wherein the memory includes instructions that when executed by the processing circuitry causes the wireless device to perform operations comprising:
• determining that communication between the wireless device and the network node will experience a communication interrupting transition during a transition period in which the non-terrestrial communication path between the wireless device and the network node will be interrupted;
• and
• adjusting a PHY layer procedure of the wireless device to mitigate switching problems with a first satellite of the plurality of satellites during and/or after the interruption by configuring a transmission gap during uplink and/or downlink data transmission, the transmission gap being greater than or equal to the transition period.

A network node operable to communicate with a wireless device via a non-terrestrial network that comprises a first satellite gateway of a plurality of satellite gateways and a first satellite of a plurality of satellites and, the network node comprising:

• processing circuitry;
• and
• memory coupled with the processing circuitry, wherein the memory includes instructions that when executed by the processing circuitry causes the wireless device to perform operations comprising:
• determining that communication between the network node and the wireless device will experience a communication interruption during a transition period, the transition period comprising a time period in which a communication path between the network node and the wireless device will be interrupted;
• and
• providing downlink control information to the wireless device to mitigate switching problems during and/or after the communication interruption, the downlink control information including an indication that the wireless device configure a transmission gap during uplink and/or downlink data transmission, the transmission gap being greater than or equal to the transition period.