A Survey of Air-to-Ground Propagation Channel Modeling for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

TLDR

Unmanned aerial vehicles have rapidly expanded in use for surveillance, relief, delivery, and 5G backhaul, creating a need for accurate air‑to‑ground propagation models that have been largely overlooked compared to terrestrial models. This paper surveys the state of air‑to‑ground channel modeling for UAVs, outlining measurement campaigns, large‑ and small‑scale fading models, and their limitations. The survey compiles existing measurement data and analytical models, evaluates their shortcomings, and proposes directions for future research in UAV communication scenarios.

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), particularly for small UAVs, due to their affordable prices, wide availability, and relative ease of operability. Existing and future applications of UAVs include remote surveillance and monitoring, relief operations, package delivery, and communication backhaul infrastructure. Additionally, UAVs are envisioned as an important component of 5G wireless technology and beyond. The unique application scenarios for UAVs necessitate accurate air-to-ground (AG) propagation channel models for designing and evaluating UAV communication links for control/non-payload as well as payload data transmissions. These AG propagation models have not been investigated in detail, relative to terrestrial propagation models. In this paper, a comprehensive survey is provided on available AG channel measurement campaigns, large and small scale fading channel models, their limitations, and future research directions for UAV communication scenarios.