Energy Efficient Altitude Optimization of an Aerial Access Point

In this paper, we propose an energy-efficient optimal altitude for an aerial access point (AAP), which acts as a flying base station to serve a set of ground user equipment (UE). Since the ratio of total energy consumed by the aerial vehicle to the communication energy is very large, we include the aerial vehicle's energy consumption in the problem formulation. After considering the energy consumption model of the aerial vehicle, our objective is translated into a non-convex optimization problem of maximizing the global energy efficiency (GEE) of the aerial communication system, subject to altitude and minimum individual data rate constraints. At first, the non-convex fractional objective function is solved by using sequential convex programming (SCP) optimization technique. To compare the result of SCP with the global optimum of the problem, we reformulate the initial problem as a monotonic fractional optimization problem (MFP) and solve it using the polyblock outer approximation (PA) algorithm. Numerical results show that the candidate solution obtained from SCP is the same as the global optimum found using the monotonic fractional programming technique. Furthermore, the impact of the aerial vehicle's energy consumption on the optimal altitude determination is also studied.Comment: This version of the work has been accepted for publication in the IEEE 31st PIMRC 2020 - Workshop on UAV Communications for 5G and Beyond; 7 pages; 5 figure

Shared Access Satellite-Terrestrial Reconfigurable Backhaul Network Enabled by Smart Antennas at MmWave Band

5G traffic expectations require not only the appropriate access infrastructure, but also the corresponding backhaul infrastructure to ensure well-balanced network scaling. Optical fiber and terrestrial wireless backhaul will hardly meet 100 percent coverage, and satellite must be considered within the 5G infrastructure to boost ubiquitous and reliable network utilization. This work presents the main outcomes of the SANSA project, which proposes a novel solution that overcomes the limitations of the traditional fixed backhaul. It is based on a dynamic integrated satellite- terrestrial backhaul network operating on the mmWave band. Its key principles are seamless integration of the satellite segment into terrestrial backhaul networks, a terrestrial wireless network capable of reconfiguring its topology according to traffic demands, and aggressive frequency reuse within the terrestrial segment and between terrestrial and satellite segments. The two technological enablers of SANSA are smart antenna techniques at mmWave and software defined intelligent hybrid network management. This article introduces these 5G enablers, which permit satellite communications to play a key role in different 5G use cases, from the early deployment of 5G services in sparse scenarios to enhanced mobile broadband in denser scenarios

Spectrum Sharing in Hybrid Terrestrial-Satellite Backhaul Networks in the Ka Band

peer reviewe

Enhancing LTE with Cloud-RAN and Load-Controlled Parasitic Antenna Arrays

Cloud radio access network systems, consisting of remote radio heads densely distributed in a coverage area and connected by optical fibers to a cloud infrastructure with large computational capabilities, have the potential to meet the ambitious objectives of next generation mobile networks. Actual implementations of C-RANs tackle fundamental technical and economic challenges. In this article, we present an end-to-end solution for practically implementable C-RANs by providing innovative solutions to key issues such as the design of cost-effective hardware and power-effective signals for RRHs, efficient design and distribution of data and control traffic for coordinated communications, and conception of a flexible and elastic architecture supporting dynamic allocation of both the densely distributed RRHs and the centralized processing resources in the cloud to create virtual base stations. More specifically, we propose a novel antenna array architecture called load-controlled parasitic antenna array (LCPAA) where multiple antennas are fed by a single RF chain. Energy- and spectral-efficient modulation as well as signaling schemes that are easy to implement are also provided. Additionally, the design presented for the fronthaul enables flexibility and elasticity in resource allocation to support BS virtualization. A layered design of information control for the proposed end-to-end solution is presented. The feasibility and effectiveness of such an LCPAA-enabled C-RAN system setup has been validated through an over-the-air demonstration