Performance Evaluation of Next-Generation Wireless (5G) UAV Relay.

Future wireless communication, especially the densified 5G network using millimeter-Wave (mmWave) will bring numerous innovations to the current telecommunication industry. In such scenario, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as Base Station (BS) becomes one of the viable options for providing 5G services. The focus of this study is to investigate, analyze and describe the distinctive rich characteristics of mmWave propagation in Access and backhaul network simultaneously using UAV. The mathematical framework is formulated for calculating UE (User Equipment) received power for the relay path (BS–UAV–UE) based on Friis Transmission Equation. We conduct simulations using the ray-tracing simulator in different scenarios while comparing and verifying the simulation results vs mathematical equations. Using ray racing simulator, the effectiveness of diffracted, reflected, and scattered paths versus direct paths is described. Furthermore, using extensive simulations, we highlight the impact of UAV location to maximize the performance of an Amplify-and-Forward UAV based relay for providing enhanced coverage to the users.