Enhancing Mega-Satellite Networks With Generative Semantic Communication: A Networking Perspective

The advance of direct satellite-to-device communication has positioned mega-satellite constellations as a cornerstone of 6G wireless communication, enabling seamless global connectivity even in remote and underserved areas. However, spectrum scarcity and capacity constraints imposed by the Shannon’s classical information theory remain significant challenges for supporting the massive data demands of multimedia-rich wireless applications. Generative Semantic Communication (GSC), powered by artificial intelligence–based generative foundation models, represents a paradigm shift from transmitting raw data to exchanging semantic meaning. GSC can not only reduce bandwidth consumption, but also enhance key semantic features in multimedia content, thereby offering a promising solution to overcome the limitations of traditional satellite communication systems. This article investigates the integration of GSC into mega-satellite constellations from a networking perspective. We propose a GSC-empowered satellite networking architecture and identify key enabling technologies, focusing on GSC-empowered network modeling and GSC-aware networking strategies. We construct a discrete temporal graph to model semantic encoders and decoders, distinct knowledge bases, and resource variations in mega-satellite networks. Based on this framework, we develop model deployment for semantic encoders and decoders and GSC-compatible routing schemes, and then present performance evaluations. Finally, we outline future research directions for advancing GSC-empowered satellite networks.