A 5G NTN-RAN Implementation Architecture with Security

At the 3GPP TSG#96 meeting held in Budapest in June 2022, 3GPP announced 5G Release 17 finalization. The prioritized areas of new radio (NR) over non-terrestrial networks (NTN), internet of things (loT) over NTN, and satellite modules in the 5G architecture are embraced. Relating to the three types of NTN payloads of transparency, full gNB (New Generation NodeB) on board and gNB-DU (Distributed Unit) on board, this paper focused on the architecture implementation of the third option building on 3GPP standards, this network deployment scenario is extremely eligible to form satellite constellations, with its security issues of authentication and key distribution, confidentiality, and integrity. The Fl interface over satellite radio interface (SRI) between gNB-DU embarking on satellite and gNB-CU (Central Unit) are introduced together with secure protocols and cryptographic algorithms applied. In the future, as 3GPP Release 18 starts making stage freeze process and the rapid development of commercialized quantum computers with adapted algorithms, this paper also touches on the new protocols and cryptographic algorithms applying to the forthcoming 5G NTN system at large.