Dynamic connectivity solutions: UAV integration with 5G networks

Abstract

The research community is increasingly driven to develop new approaches to meet the demands of ubiquitous connectivity. This includes addressing spontaneous communication requirements arising from crowd events or responding to the communication challenges posed by natural disasters or other emergency situations. Agile network management techniques, empowered by artificial intelligence, and leveraging the third spatial dimension, offer promising solutions to address these challenges. This paper explores the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs) with 5G network technologies to enhance mobile network performance and coverage. By deploying gNodeB on UAV platforms, dynamic resource allocation and network function scalability could be improved, facilitating rapid deployment of temporary mobile network nodes. The work describes a practical integration and communication performance emulation to evaluate the capabilities and performance of UAV-mounted gNodeBs. Special attention is payed to the impact backhaul link, which connects the base stations with the terrestrial core network, over service performance.