ABSTRACT
Miniaturization of electronics has created an opportunity to fit wireless communications equipment into the payload of various aerial platforms such as drones, a.k.a. unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aerostats, and high-altitude platforms (HAPs). Aerial networks, which are a special category of non-terrestrial networks placed within the Earth’s atmosphere, can be deployed quickly and cost-effectively to provide coverage in remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure is difficult to build, in disaster zones with damaged cellular towers, and even in urban areas to absorb sudden peaks in data traffic. Aerial wireless networks are currently being investigated as a promising new dimension for the next generation communication networks. This chapter explains the air-to-ground radio propagation and path loss models for aerial networks and examines options, characteristics, and design considerations for both HAP- and UAV-based networks. [130 words]
