Three-dimensional cellular systems for air/ground personal communication

A new three-dimensional (3-D) cellular system is proposed for air/ground (A/G) personal communications. The proposed system extends the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) to enable its subscribers to send and receive calls while traveling in the air using the same subscriber identity module (SIM)-the same mobile number-that is used for the ground network. Modifications to the GSM system architecture to develop the A/G system architecture are outlined. A multilayer service volume is proposed in which the coverage volume is divided into three coaxial cylindrical layers (cells) with each layer serving a limited part of the airspace. Capacity of the new proposed system based on the standard GSM concept is analyzed and compared to other alternative systems: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA).