Performance Analysis of Relay-Based Communication for FANET in 5G and Beyond

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have great potential in 5G and 6G networks due to their communication capabilities, low-cost, and adaptable deployment opportunities. The use of multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) systems is a more cost-effective and operationally efficient approach compared to using a single UAV system. Compared to a large UAV, flying ad hoc networks (FANETs) with small UAVs have many advantages. This UAV-based architecture typically uses clusters of UAVs, where the UAV acts as a cluster head (CH), collecting information from other UAVs and sending it to the emergency communication vehicle (ECV). Although this model works well in open areas, Non-line-of-sight (NLoS) issues caused by tall buildings, trees, places like hills, or other obstacles significantly damage its performance in urban environments. Due to their closeness to ground users, UAVs operating at low altitudes generally provide stronger signals and faster response times; however, they are more likely to encounter NLoS issues. We propose a reliable communication architecture that uses relay drones between CH and ECV to avoid these limitations. To prevent NLoS obstructions and assure a reliable and high-quality connection, these relay drones are deployed at strategic locations and altitudes. Our model dynamically adjusts altitude and position when obstacles arise to provide connectivity in urban environments, overcoming signal obstructions and improving the coverage. Simulation results show that our proposed architecture provides a reliable and adaptive communication framework in urban disaster situations to significantly improve important network performance metrics such as throughput, path loss, and outage probability under Nakagami-m fading channel and relay supported communication compared to traditional UAV clustering models, this improved model assures continuous information flow during critical search and rescue operations.