CST in Partnership with IEEE Awards Winners of Third Edition of International Non-terrestrial Networks Competition
The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) announced the winners of the third edition of the Non-Terrestrial Networks Global Research Competition (Non-Terrestrial Networks 2026), launched in collaboration with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The competition aims to support research and innovation in non-terrestrial networks and to attract researchers and academics to develop innovative ideas and solutions that advance next-generation connectivity technologies and strengthen the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. The announcement was made during the Global Space Connectivity and Sustainability Events.
The competition drew 81 research papers submitted by 280 researchers and academics, with the participation of more than 40 judges. The paper "Affordable Connectivity from the Skies: A Subsidy-Aware Pricing Framework for Satellite Services Under Public Budget Constraints" won first place, the paper "Commercial Aircraft as Sustainable Relays for Satellite Direct-to-Device Access" took second place, and the paper "AI-Enabled Multi-Layer NTN for Rapid Target Acquisition in Desert Search and Rescue" came in third place.
The papers covered diverse topics spanning economic and technical aspects. The first paper presented a new framework for pricing satellite services in a way that supports government consumption and helps deliver inclusive services for everyone. The second paper offered an innovative idea for investing in commercial aircraft that operate around the clock, turning them into transmission and reception stations that help improve satellite coverage. The third paper presented an innovative idea for running AI algorithms on board high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) and using them to speed up search and rescue operations in remote areas.
The competition, which saw strong participation across its three previous editions, has drawn more than 160 research papers from more than 440 researchers, with over 60 judges from more than 110 universities and research centers taking part.
