Time-varying requirements of users on communication push mobile operators to increase density of base stations. However, the dense deployment of conventional static base stations (SBSs) is not always economical, for example, when periods of peak load are short and infrequent. In such cases, several flying base stations (FlyBSs) mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles can be seen as a convenient substitution for the dense deployment of SBSs. This paper focuses on maximization of user satisfaction with provided data rates. To this end, we propose an algorithm that associates users with the most suitable SBS/FlyBS and finds optimal positions of all FlyBSs. Furthermore, we investigate the performance of two proposed approaches for the joint association and positioning based on the genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). It is shown that both solutions improve the satisfaction of users with provided data rates in comparison with a competitive approach. We also demonstrate trade-offs between the GA and the PSO. While the PSO is of lower complexity than the GA, the GA requires a slightly lower number of active FlyBSs to serve the users.
PostprintThis is the accepted version of a paper published in IEEE Communications Magazine. This paper has been peer-reviewed but does not include the final publisher proof-corrections or journal pagination.Citation for the original published paper (version of record):Ergin, D., Vondra, M., Hofmann, S., Schupke, D., Prytz, M. et al. (2017) In-Flight Broadband Connectivity: Architectures and Business Models for HighCapacity Air-toGround Communications.
IEEE Communications MagazineAccess to the published version may require subscription. N.B. When citing this work, cite the original published paper. On-board broadband services are provided via air-toground (A2G) connectivity through direct A2G communications (DA2GC) and satellite A2G communications (SA2GC). Available on-board connectivity systems have significant limitations: high latency in SA2GC and low capacity in DA2GC. The customer expectancy is multi-Mbps connections in every seat which leads to capacity requirements of Gbps to the aircraft. Creation of high capacity IFBC requires a collaborative interaction between different industrial partners. For this reason, we investigate A2G architectures in terms of economic and technical perspectives, and propose business models by identifying new roles and positioning them in the A2G business ecosystem. In addition, we provide an extensive summary of the state-of-the-art and future improvements for A2G communications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.