Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) will complement the 5G and beyond terrestrial networks (TNs) thanks to recent deployment and standardization activities. Maximizing the efficiency of NTN communications is crucial to unlock its full potential and reap its numerous benefits. One method to make the communications more efficient is by the usage of multi-connectivity (MC) where a user can be connected to multiple base stations simultaneously. It has earlier been standardized and widely used for TNs. However, for MC to be utilized in the NTN environment, several challenges need to be overcome. In this article, challenges related to MC in NTNs are discussed, and solutions for the identified challenges are proposed.

翻译：非地面网络（NTN）将通过近期部署和标准化活动，对5G及未来地面网络（TN）形成重要补充。提升NTN通信效率对于充分发挥其潜力并获取多重效益至关重要。实现高效通信的一种方式是采用多连接（MC）技术，即用户可同时接入多个基站。该技术已在地面网络中完成标准化并得到广泛应用。然而，要将MC应用于NTN环境，仍需克服诸多挑战。本文探讨了NTN中MC相关技术挑战，并针对已识别问题提出了相应解决方案。