An Edge Computing Empowered Radio Access Network With UAV-Mounted FSO Fronthaul and Backhaul: Key Challenges and Approaches

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel UAV-mounted FSO-based edge computing radio access network architecture to enhance rapid deployment and flexible response to traffic demands, addressing key challenges in resource management.

Contribution

It introduces a new architecture leveraging UAV-mounted FSO links for improved edge computing and discusses hardware, networking, and resource management challenges.

Findings

Analyzes hardware and networking technologies for UAV-mounted FSO links.

Identifies challenges related to UAV payload, endurance, and mobility.

Reviews recent research progress in communication resource management.

Abstract

One promising approach to address the supply-demand mismatch between the terrestrial infrastructure and the temporary and/or unexpected traffic demands is to leverage the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies. Motivated by the recent advancement of UAV technologies and retromodulator based free space optical communication, we propose a novel edge-computing empowered radio access network architecture where the fronthaul and backhaul links are mounted on the UAVs for rapid event response and flexible deployment. The implementation of hardware and networking technologies for the proposed architecture are investigated. Due to the limited payload and endurance as well as the high mobility of UAVs, research challenges related to the communication resource management and recent research progress are reported.

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Full text

See pages 1-last of mag_dynamic_spectrum_0106.pdf