6G opens up a New Era for Aeronautical Communication and Services

TL;DR

This paper discusses how 6G will expand aeronautical communication by integrating non-terrestrial networks like UAVs and satellites, proposing a framework for resource management and new applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel framework for resource collection and distribution among aeronautical systems, enabling high-performance 6G aeronautical services.

Findings

Proposes a comprehensive aeronautical resource management framework.

Introduces new use-cases like Aeronautical Edge Computing and aircraft-as-a-sensor.

Highlights the potential of 6G to enhance aeronautical communication and services.

Abstract

While 5G delivers high quality services mostly in a two dimensional terrestrial area covering our planet's surface, with 6G we aim at a full exploitation of three dimensions. In this way, 6G includes all kinds of non-terrestrial networks. In particular, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), High-Altitude Platforms (HAPs), (self-)flying taxis and civil aircrafts are new additions to already existing satellite networks complementing the cellular terrestrial network. Their integration to 6G is promising with respect to service coverage, but also challenging due to the so far rather closed systems. Emerging technology concepts such as Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) can provide a basis for a full integration of aeronautical systems into the terrestrial counterpart. However, these technologies render the management and orchestration of aeronautical systems complex. As a step towards the integration of aeronautical communication and services into 6G, we propose a framework for the collection, monitoring and distribution of resources in the sky among heterogeneous flying objects. This enables high-performance services for a new era of 6G aeronautical applications. Based on our aeronautical framework, we introduce emerging application use-cases including Aeronautical Edge Computing (AEC), aircraft-as-a-sensor, and in-cabin networks.