Location-Aware NAS Timer Optimization in NTN-TN Integrated Networks

Cheng Liu, Peng Hu

Efficient Non-Access Stratum (NAS) timer configuration is critical for reliable and energy-efficient Fifth Generation (5G) registration in Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN)-Terrestrial Network (TN) integrated systems, where Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite access introduces large registration bursts, heterogeneous propagation paths, and multi-hop satellite routing. Existing 3GPP NAS timers use fixed values, while prior closed-form timer models compute a global timer under network-level assumptions; both fail to capture user equipment (UE)-level differences in propagation delay, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) arrival position, and path reliability. In this paper, we propose a location-aware, UE-specific NAS timer optimization method for LEO NTN-TN integrated networks. The proposed method models the path-delay component using service-link geometry, ground-station distance, and Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) hop count, and adapts the endpoint-delay component according to each UE's expected AMF queue exposure and path reliability. Simulation results show that our method reduces registration latency, UE energy consumption, and avoidable registration attempts compared with fixed and global timer configurations, especially when timer over-provisioning causes unnecessary waiting.