2021/06/03 by Khaleel Mershad, Hayssam Dahrouj, Mershad, Khaleel +9 · 2 citations
Engineering · #UAV Applications and Optimization #Satellite Communication Systems #Air Traffic Management and Optimization
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2106.02006
Augmenting ground-level communications with flying networks, such as the\nhigh-altitude platform system (HAPS), is among the major innovative initiatives\nof the next generation of wireless systems (6G). Given HAPS quasi-static\npositioning at the stratosphere, HAPS-to-ground and HAPS-to-air connectivity\nframeworks are expected to be prolific in terms of data acquisition and\ncomputing, especially given the mild weather and quasi-constant wind speed\ncharacteristics of the stratospheric layer. This paper explores the\nopportunities stemming from the realization of cloud-enabled HAPS in the\ncontext of telecommunications applications and services. The paper first\nadvocates for the potential physical advantages of deploying HAPS as flying\ndata-centers, also known as super-macro base stations. The paper then describes\nvarious cloud services that can be offered from the HAPS and the merits that\ncan be achieved by this integration, such as enhancing the quality, speed, and\nrange of the offered services. The proposed services span a wide range of\nfields, including satellites, Internet of Things (IoT), ad hoc networks (such\nas sensor; vehicular; and aerial networks), gaming, and social networks. For\neach service, the paper illustrates the methods that would be used by cloud\nproviders to offload the service data to the HAPS and enable the cloud\ncustomers to consume the service. The paper further sheds light on the\nchallenges that need to be addressed for realizing practical cloud-enabled\nHAPS, mainly, those related to high energy, processing power, quality of\nservice (QoS), and security considerations. Finally, the paper discusses some\nopen issues on the topic, namely, HAPS mobility and message routing, HAPS\nsecurity via blockchain and machine learning, artificial intelligence-based\nresource allocation in cloud-enabled HAPS, and integration with vertical\nheterogeneous networks.\n