IoD-Sim: an open-source simulator for 6G integrated terrestrial/non-terrestrial networks

Integrated Terrestrial/Non-Terrestrial Networks (T/NTNs) are paving the way to ubiquitous connectivity in future Sixth Generation (6G) communication systems, as they enable novel heterogeneous environments with drones, High-Altitude Platforms (HAPs), and satellites. For the challenges brought by this diverse spectrum of mobile network entities, it is imperative to have tools capable of assessing such a complex network infrastructure before moving to a real-world deployment and testing phase. To this end, this work emphasizes the need for a comprehensive system-level communication simulation platform to study and develop these emerging architectures. It surveys existing simulators and introduces the Internet of Drones Simulator (IoD-Sim), an open-source platform designed for T/NTN simulations, including the envisioned 6G technology of Intelligent Reflective Surfaces (IRSs).