Module 1: (8 hours)

Fundamentals of UAV Communications:
UAV types and regulations, UAV communication and spectrum requirements, Wireless communications and networking with UAVs, Advantages of UAV networks, UAV applications and use cases, Challenges for UAV communications

Mobile technologies for UAV: LTE, 5G NR

LTE-connected UAV: UAV as LTE user equipment, UAV as LTE base station
Standardization: 3GPP Release 15 study item on LTE-connected UAV, 3GPP Release 15 work item on LTE-connected UAV, 3GPP Release 16 study item on remote UAV identification

5G NR-enabled UAVs: Enhanced connectivity, service differentiation with network slicing, network intelligence

Module 2: (8 hours)

UAV Channel Models:

UAV air-to-ground (AG) propagation: Frequency bands, scattering characteristics, antenna configurations, Doppler effects
AG channel measurements: Configurations, challenges, scenarios, waveforms

Large scale propagation effects: Free-space path-loss (FSPL) model, floating-intercept path-loss model, dual-slope path-loss model, log-distance path-loss model, modified FSPL model, two-ray path-loss model, LOS/NLOS mixture path-loss model, shadowing

Small scale propagation effects: Time selectivity and Doppler spread, frequency selectivity and delay spread, spatial selectivity and angular spread, envelope and power distributions, MIMO AG channel model, 3GPP channel model

Module 3: (10 hours)

Modeling and Performance Analysis of UAV Networks:
Stochastic geometry preliminaries: Point processes as spatial models, Poisson point process, expectation measure, probability generating functional (PGFL), Campbell’s theorem, Slivnyak’s theorem, marked point process, palm distribution

UAV mobility models: 3GPP-inspired mobility model, Mixed-mobility model

Study Cases: Downlink/Uplink UAV cellular networks with single/multiple UAVs

Performance Analysis: Characterization of link SINR, evaluation of coverage probability, throughput, area spectral efficiency, handover probability, ergodic capacity, symbol-error probability

Numerical study: Impact of UAV altitude, antenna beamwidth, antenna tilt, fading environments, network densification

Module 4: (9 hours)

Deployment of UAVs as: flying base station, mobile relays, network user equipment

Optimal deployment: Trajectory planning, coverage maximization, cell partitioning, user association and scheduling, power control, resource allocation, interference management, energy-efficiency maximization

Module 5: (10 hours)

Physical Layer Security:
Security issues: Denial-of-service attacks, masquerade attacks, message modification attacks, eavesdropping attacks, traffic analysis

Network security requirements: Authenticity, confidentiality, integrity, availability
Physical layer security: Physical layer versus upper layers, physical layer techniques, artificial noise, cooperative jamming, protected zone

Study cases: Design of secure downlink/uplink UAV cellular networks with UAV trajectory planning, cooperative jamming, and protected zone approach

To understand the applications and use cases of UAV for wireless communication, enabling mobile technologies, and standards.

To identify the salient features of air-to-ground channels for UAV communications and distinguish them from that of terrestrial wireless channels.

To learn the modeling of downlink/uplink UAV networks and apply the stochastic geometry tools for their performance analysis.

To determine algorithms for the optimal deployment of UAV in the role of base station, mobile relay, and user equipment in UAV networks

5. To design and evaluate UAV networks with enhanced physical layer security.

After the completion of the course, the students will be able to:
1. Understand the applications and use cases of UAV for wireless communication, enabling mobile technologies, and standards.
2. Identify the distinct features of air-to-ground channels for UAV communications as compared to that of terrestrial wireless channels
3. Model the downlink/uplink UAV networks and evaluate their performance based on stochastic geometry tools.
4. Determine algorithms for the optimal deployment of UAV in the role of base station, mobile relay, and user equipment in UAV networks.
5. To design and analyse UAV networks with enhanced physical layer security.

Yong Zeng, Ismail Guvenc, Rui Zhang, Giovanni Geraci, and David W. Matolak, UAV communications for 5G and beyond, Wiley-IEEE Press , 2020

W Saad, M Bennis, M Mozaffari, and X Lin, Wireless Communications and Networking for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Cambridge University Press , 2020

Sassan Ahmadi, 5G NR: Architecture, Technology, Implementation, and Operation of 3GPP New Radio Standards, Academic Press , 2019

Wanshi Chen, Peter Gaal, Juan Montojo, and Haris Zisimopoulos, Fundamentals of 5G Communications: Connectivity for Enhanced Mobile Broadband and Beyond, McGraw Hill , 2021

Selected IEEE Conference papers on relevant topic(s).

Selected IEEE Transactions/Journal papers on relevant topic(s).