학술논문

Communication Demands and Performance Metrics for Next Generation Aerial Networks
Document Type
Periodical
Source
IEEE Communications Magazine IEEE Commun. Mag. Communications Magazine, IEEE. 60(5):32-37 May, 2022
Subject
Power, Energy and Industry Applications
Signal Processing and Analysis
Computing and Processing
Communication, Networking and Broadcast Technologies
Autonomous aerial vehicles
Economics
Current measurement
Quality of service
Traffic control
Market research
Regulation
Language
ISSN
0163-6804
1558-1896
Abstract
Technological progress and economic interest are paving the way toward a more densified airspace. Seen as a technical system composed of air vehicles, traffic control, and service providers, the airspace is expected to evolve significantly toward a more digitalized and autonomous version of its current self. In such a future system, connectivity plays a key role, and needs to be dependable and secure. Regulation bodies have already defined a set of requirements, called required communication performance (RCP), against which communication links must be benchmarked. However, these are not well aligned with typically used communication performance metrics. In this article, we give an overview of technical demands originating from novel use cases and requirements put forward by airspace regulation bodies. We discuss the mismatch toward technical performance measures and propose a way to formally transfer RCP into more “communication-friendly” demands. We show with measurements that current technology is not ready to support the high demands of the aerospace industry yet and highlight technological ways forward that could close this gap.