Enabling Cellular Communication for Aerial Vehicles: Providing Reliability for Future Applications

Due to safety concerns, a reliable radio communication link is a key component in the future application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as it will enable beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations. In terms of cost and deployment time, radio communication for aerial vehicles will greatly benefit from the ready-to-market infrastructure and ubiquitous coverage of cellular networks. However, these are optimized for terrestrial users, and the different propagation environment experienced by aerial vehicles poses some interference challenges. In this article, field measurements and system-level simulations are used to assess interferencemitigation solutions that can improve aerial-link reliability. We then discuss how 5 G New Radio (NR) favors the integration of UAVs into cellular networks, as its flexible air interface and beamforming-suited frequencies facilitate the deployment of interference-management solutions.