Interference-Aware Emergent Random Access Protocol for Downlink LEO Satellite Networks

Abstract--In this article, we propose a multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (MADRL) framework to train a multiple access protocol for downlink low earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks. By improving the existing learned protocol, emergent random access channel (eRACH), our proposed method, coined centralized and compressed emergent signaling for eR-ACH (Ce2RACH), can mitigate inter-satellite interference by exchanging additional signaling messages jointly learned through the MADRL training process. Simulations demonstrate that Ce2RACH achieves up to 36.65% higher network throughput compared to eRACH, while the cost of signaling messages increase linearly with the number of users. Despite the non-stationarity, the orbiting movements of LEO satellites create underlying patterns that exchange additional control signaling messages, inspired by can be discerned through MADRL. In this regard, the emergent protocol learning frameworks that train signaling messages random access channel (eRACH) protocol has recently been for specific environments [3].