Hybrid Terrestrial-Aerial Network for Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication

Ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) is undoubtedly the toughest service class in 5G-NR from the network service provider’s perspective. Different methodologies have been utilized to meet the reliability and latency requirements of URLLC including proposition of various diversity techniques. This paper envisages a hybrid network using terrestrial and flying base stations to provide ubiquitous and reliable service to URLLC users. We propose utilizing the macro-diversity in the hybrid environment by exploiting the significant differences in path loss and shadowing characteristics of flying base stations (FBSs) as compared to the terrestrial base stations (TBSs). Preliminary results are presented to this effect and recommendations are made to their inclusion in the networks for supporting URLLC users in the future.