Distributed access and/or backhaul for non-terrestrial nodes

A system comprising:

• one or more transceivers of a non-terrestrial node configured to establish one or more links with a remote node for an integrated access and backhaul;
• and
• one or more processors configured to:
• determine a plurality of links to form with a number of nodes in a network;
• cause the one or more transceivers to form the plurality of links with the number of nodes in the network;
• determine a plurality of routing paths for backhaul between the non-terrestrial node to a central server;
• provide instructions for backhaul between the non-terrestrial node and the central server using the plurality of routing paths;
• and
• transmit, using the one or more transceivers, a first set of data to backhaul via a first routing path of the plurality of routing paths and a second set of data to backhaul via a second routing path of the plurality of routing paths.

A method of configuring a network to provide integrated access and backhaul, the network including a non-terrestrial node and a terrestrial node, the method comprising:

• receiving, by one or more processors of a network controller, status information from nodes of the network, the status information including a location of the non-terrestrial node;
• determining, by the one or more processors, available nodes and possible links in the network at a given point in time based on the received status information, the possible links including a first access or backhaul link between the non-terrestrial node and a first available node of the network and a second access or backhaul link between the non-terrestrial node and a second available node of the network;
• receiving, by the one or more processors, demand information related to data to be transmitted through the network or related to bandwidth requirements for servicing user equipment in a given geographic area at the given point in time;
• determining, by the one or more processors, an overall network configuration that includes the first access or backhaul link and the second access or backhaul link based on the received demand information;
• and
• sending, by the one or more processors, instructions to the nodes of the network for implementing the overall network configuration and operating the first access or backhaul link and the second access or backhaul link at the given point in time.