Utilization of UAVs as Flying Base Stations in Urban Environments

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is gaining significant interest for a variety of emerging applications. One of the most attractive use cases for network operators is the ability of UAVs to carry base station equipment on board. The usage of UAVs as moving base stations may enhance connectivity quality in congested areas and expand coverage. Particularly useful for millimeter-wave (mmWave) 5G New Radio (NR) networks, UAV base stations (UAV-BSs) operating at higher altitudes may benefit from broader coverage, improved line-of-sight conditions, and reduced blockage. This paper evaluates UAV-aided radio systems by employing system-level simulations and compares them with traditional terrestrial networks, where urban deployment is modeled using real-world data. Our results show improvements in the average user throughput when using UAVs as flying base stations in urban environments. On top of this, we provide an updated review of 3GPP activities related to UAVs and NR-based relaying.