LOW LATENCY SCHEDULE-DRIVEN HANDOVERS

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a user terminal associated with a cell served by a satellite, a schedule of communications between the user terminal and one or more satellites, wherein the one or more satellites comprises the satellite and a different satellite, and wherein the schedule of communications is obtained by the user terminal from the satellite;

requesting, based on the schedule, a handover from a beam of the satellite to an additional beam of the satellite or a beam of the different satellite;

performing the handover from the beam of the satellite to the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite, wherein performing the handover comprises disabling, receive (Rx) and/or transmit (Tx) communications associated with the user terminal for communications associated with the beam of the satellite, and terminating a data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the beam of the satellite; and

after the handover, transmitting, by the user terminal, one or more packets via the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the handover from the beam of the satellite to the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite comprises breaking a connection with the beam of the satellite and making a connection with the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein making the connection with the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite comprises receiving, from the satellite or the different satellite, a handover request.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the handover comprises:

disabling, at a layer 2 (L2) of the user terminal, receive (Rx) and transmit (Tx) communications associated with at least one of the user terminal and the beam of the satellite;

disabling, at a layer 1 (L1) of the user terminal, one or more Rx and Tx interfaces used for communications associated with the beam of the satellite; and

terminating a data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the beam of the satellite.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein performing the handover comprises:

enabling, at the L2 of the user terminal, Rx and Tx communications associated with the user terminal and the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite;

configuring, at the L1 of the user terminal, one or more Rx and Tx interfaces for communications between the user terminal and the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite; and

establishing a different data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the data transmission link and the different data transmission link comprise at least one of a satellite gateway and a point-of-presence (POP) site.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the data transmission link comprises at least one of a first satellite gateway and a first POP site, and wherein the different data transmission link comprises at least one of a second satellite gateway and a second PoP site.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein performing the handover comprises:

disabling, at the user terminal, a beam pointing service associated with at least one of Rx and Tx beams; and

after terminating the data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the beam of the satellite, enabling the beam pointing service for the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

9 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, by a user terminal associated with a cell served by a satellite, a schedule of communications between the user terminal and one or more satellites, wherein the one or more satellites comprises the satellite and a different satellite, and wherein the schedule of communications is obtained by the user terminal from the satellite;

request, based on the schedule, a handover from a beam of the satellite to an additional beam of the satellite or a beam of the different satellite;

perform the handover from the beam of the satellite to the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite, wherein performing the handover comprises disabling, receive (Rx) and/or transmit (Tx) communications associated with the user terminal for communications associated with the beam of the satellite, and terminating a data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the beam of the satellite; and

after the handover, transmit, by the user terminal, one or more packets via the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

10 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein performing the handover from the beam of the satellite to the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite comprises breaking a connection with the beam of the satellite and making a connection with the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

11 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein making the connection with the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite comprises receiving, from the satellite or the different satellite, a handover request.

12 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein performing the handover comprises:

disabling, at a layer 2 (L2) of the user terminal, receive (Rx) and transmit (Tx) communications associated with at least one of the user terminal and the beam of the satellite;

disabling, at a layer 1 (L1) of the user terminal, one or more Rx and Tx interfaces used for communications associated with the beam of the satellite; and

terminating a data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the beam of the satellite.

13 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein performing the handover comprises:

enabling, at the L2 of the user terminal, Rx and Tx communications associated with the user terminal and the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite;

configuring, at the L1 of the user terminal, one or more Rx and Tx interfaces for communications between the user terminal and the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite; and

establishing a different data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

14 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the data transmission link and the different data transmission link comprise at least one of a satellite gateway and a point-of-presence (POP) site, and wherein performing the handover comprises:

disabling, at the user terminal, a beam pointing service associated with at least one of Rx and Tx beams; and

after terminating the data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the beam of the satellite, enabling the beam pointing service for the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

15 . A user terminal comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a schedule of communications between the user terminal and one or more satellites, wherein the one or more satellites comprises a satellite and a different satellite, and wherein the schedule of communications is obtained by the user terminal from the satellite;

request, based on the schedule, a handover from a beam of the satellite to an additional beam of the satellite or a beam of the different satellite;

perform the handover from the beam of the satellite to the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite, wherein performing the handover comprises disabling, receive (Rx) and/or transmit (Tx) communications associated with the user terminal for communications associated with the beam of the satellite, and terminating a data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the beam of the satellite; and

after the handover, transmit, by the user terminal, one or more packets via the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

16 . The user terminal of claim 15 , wherein performing the handover from the beam of the satellite to the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite comprises breaking a connection with the beam of the satellite and making a connection with the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

17 . The user terminal of claim 16 , wherein making the connection with the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite comprises receiving, from the satellite or the different satellite, a handover request.

18 . The user terminal of claim 15 , wherein performing the handover comprises:

disabling, at a layer 2 (L2) of the user terminal, receive (Rx) and transmit (Tx) communications associated with at least one of the user terminal and the beam of the satellite;

disabling, at a layer 1 (L1) of the user terminal, one or more Rx and Tx interfaces used for communications associated with the beam of the satellite;

terminating a data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the beam of the satellite;

enabling, at the L2 of the user terminal, Rx and Tx communications associated with the user terminal and the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite;

configuring, at the L1 of the user terminal, one or more Rx and Tx interfaces for communications between the user terminal and the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite; and

establishing a different data transmission link comprising the user terminal and the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.

19 . The user terminal of claim 18 , wherein the data transmission link and the different data transmission link comprise at least one of a satellite gateway and a point-of-presence (POP) site.

20 . The user terminal of claim 18 , wherein performing the handover comprises:

disabling a beam pointing service associated with at least one of Rx and Tx beams; and

after terminating the data transmission link, enabling the beam pointing service for the additional beam of the satellite or the beam of the different satellite.