QoS-Aware Pricing Framework for Heterogeneous Users in Integrated Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks

Abstract

As the telecommunications industry advances towards the realisation of 6G, ubiquitous global coverage has emerged as a key objective. This has driven significant interest in the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (ITNTNs), where satellite systems complement terrestrial infrastructure to enable seamless connectivity. However, the global operational scale of satellite systems necessitates cooperation between Low Earth Orbit satellite operators (LEOPs) and local mobile network operators (MNOs), introducing new economic and operational challenges. At the same time, emerging applications are expected to impose strict quality-of-service (QoS) requirements that must be guaranteed across both domains. This paper proposes a QoS-aware tiered pricing framework for supporting users with diverse QoS requirements in an ITNTN. Users are classified into service classes based on empirical traffic characterisation, with each class assigned a dedicated network slice and a target load level linked to QoS guarantees through a queueing-based latency model. The MNO determines class-specific prices that regulate aggregate demand to match these target loads. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed framework enforces QoS requirements, preserves the desired load hierarchy, and aligns pricing with QoS differentiation, while remaining analytically tractable under heterogeneous user populations.