Analysis of Large Scale Aerial Terrestrial Networks with mmWave Backhauling

TL;DR

This paper models and analyzes the performance of large-scale aerial-terrestrial networks with mmWave backhauling, considering beamforming errors and backhaul status, to improve wireless connectivity using UAVs and ground base stations.

Contribution

It introduces a stochastic geometry-based model for UAV-assisted networks with mmWave backhaul, accounting for beamforming errors and backhaul status, providing new insights into system parameter optimization.

Findings

Coverage probability depends on UAV altitude and backhaul quality.

Backhaul link errors significantly impact user coverage and network performance.

Optimal UAV deployment improves connectivity and reduces beamforming misalignment effects.

Abstract

Service providers are considering the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to enhance wireless connectivity of cellular networks. To provide connectivity, UAVs have to be backhauled through terrestrial base stations (BSs) to the core network. In particular, we consider millimeter-wave (mmWave) backhauling in the downlink of a hybrid aerial-terrestrial network, where the backhaul links are subject to beamforming misalignment errors. In the proposed model, the user equipment (UE) can connect to either a ground BS or a UAV, where we differentiate between two transmission schemes according to the backhaul status. In one scheme, the UEs are served by the UAVs regardless of whether the backhaul links are good or not. In the other scheme, the UAVs are aware of the backhaul links status, and hence, only the subset of successfully backhauled UAVs can serve the UEs. Using stochastic geometry, the performance of the proposed model is assessed in terms of coverage probability and validated against Monte-Carlo simulations. Several insights are provided for determining some system parameters including the UAVs altitude and required number and the beamforming misalignment error of the backhaul link. The obtained results highlight the impact of the UAVs backhaul link on the UE experience.