Abstract
The presence of a super high rate, but also cost-efficient, easy-to-deploy, and scalable, backhaul/ fronthaul framework, is essential in the upcoming 5G wireless networks and beyond. Motivated by the mounting interest in unmanned flying platforms of various types, including UAVs, drones, balloons, and HAPs/MAPs/LAPs, which we refer to as networked flying platforms (NFPs), for providing communications services, and by the recent advances in free space optics (FSO), this article investigates the feasibility of a novel vertical backhaul/fronthaul framework where the NFPs transport the backhaul/fronthaul traffic between the access and core networks via pointto- point FSO links. The performance of the proposed innovative approach is investigated under different weather conditions and a broad range of system parameters. Simulation results demonstrate that the FSO-based vertical backhaul/ fronthaul framework can offer data rates higher than the baseline alternatives, and thus can be considered a promising solution to the emerging backhaul/fronthaul requirements of the 5G+ wireless networks, particularly in the presence of ultra-dense heterogeneous small cells. This article also presents the challenges that accompany such a novel framework and provides some key ideas toward overcoming these challenges.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 8255764 |
Pages (from-to) | 218-224 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | IEEE Communications Magazine |
Volume | 56 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 1979-2012 IEEE.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Computer Networks and Communications
- Computer Science Applications