Impact of 6G Space-Air-Ground Integrated Networks on Hard-to-Reach Areas: Tourism, Agriculture, Education, and Indigenous Communities

Due to low population density, difficult terrain, and insufficient infrastructure, the deployment of wireless communication in hard-to-reach areas has long been a challenge in the perspective of leadership corporations, companies, and governments despite the high demand from many local communities. The birth of space-air-ground integrated networks (SAGINs) which are designed to provide ubiquitous, seamless, and high-throughput connectivity is a promising solution to these challenges. In this paper, we investigate the unique difficulties faced by rural and remote areas without wireless communication in the information era. To address these problems, a general architecture of SAGINs is described with the aim to apply in these regions, following the unprecedented benefits in four key sectors including tourism, agriculture, education, and indigenous communities. Although SAGINs have been proposed recently, they are still in their fancy with a focus on the application in remote areas. Therefore, important open research topics are crucial to be investigated at the beginning of the design process to ensure that their full potential is leveraged to enhance the well-being of local populations and create sustainable development.