Architecture and Procedure Enhancements for Store and Forward Satellite Operations

Satellite communication extends network coverage to remote and challenging areas, with 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) advancing Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) standardization. To address feeder link unavailability in regenerative payload deployments, 3GPP introduces Store and Forward (S&F) satellite operations. However, existing architecture, Mobility management and Session Management procedures are not fully compatible with S&F. This paper introduces the 3GPP-defined S&F architecture and proposes enhancements to broadcasting, attach, Tracking Area Update (TAU) and UE-requested PDN connectivity procedures for split-MME and full-EPC onboard deployment options, improving mobility and session management for S&F operations. Additionally, the paper identifies several key challenges that require further investigation in future work.