Prospects of Optical Wireless Communications in Non-Terrestrial Networks

The seamless integration of the non-terrestrial network with the terrestrial network is necessary to provide a high-capacity unified wireless network with 3D multilevel connectivity. Thus, optical wireless communication (OWC) will be prominent one to offer the highest capacity values. Here, we thoroughly investigate the role, design, and implementation issues of OWC links in the relevant scenarios, focusing on power budget, physical implementation, and reliability issues. We provide a comprehensive classification of possible optical wireless links based on distances, experienced propagation issues (turbulence, pointing error, etc.), and their suitable modulation formats. This paper draws up a high-level overview of the optical wireless links, targeted results, and key issues that will be addressed.