Frequency Plan Design for Multibeam Satellite Constellations Using Integer Linear Programming

Upcoming large satellite constellations and the advent of tighter steerable beams will offer unprecedented flexibility. Consequently, this will require resource management strategies to be operated in high-dimensional and dynamic environments, as existing satellite operators are unaccustomed to operational flexibility and automation. Frequency assignment policies have the potential to drive constellations’ performance in this new context, but are no exception to scalability and fast operation requirements. Most of existing frequency assignment methods fail to fulfill these requirements, or are unable to meet them without falling short on efficiency. In this paper we propose a new frequency assignment method that prioritizes operational requirements. We present an algorithm based on Integer Linear Programming that fully defines a frequency plan while respecting key system constraints such as handovers, interference, and gateway dimensioning. We can encode goals such as bandwidth maximization or power reduction and optimize plans according to such objectives. In our experiments on systems with 20 to 5,000 beams, we find this method allocates at least 100% more bandwidth and reduces power consumption by 40% compared to previous benchmarks. To ensure scalability, we also introduce an iterative approach of the formulation, which achieves substantial gains in runtime with minimal loss of performance.