Network-connected UAV communications: Potentials and challenges

This article explores the use of network-connected unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communications as a compelling solution to achieve high-rate information transmission and support ultra-reliable UAV remote command and control. We first discuss the use cases of UAVs and the resulting communication requirements, accompanied with a flexible architecture for network-connected UAV communications. Then, the signal transmission and interference characteristics are theoretically analyzed, and subsequently we highlight the design and optimization considerations, including antenna design, nonorthogonal multiple access communications, as well as network selection and association optimization. Finally, case studies are provided to show the feasibility of network-connected UAV communications.