Evaluation of data sets for mobile radio signal coverage up to 150 meters above ground

Abstract

For the integration of unmanned aircraft into civil airspace, Europe-wide harmonized regulations have been adopted which will come into force in the EU member states starting in July 2020. There are currently no specific design regulations for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). This also applies to the data link that is to be used initially for control and subsequently for payload, such as video feeds. In order to be able to use mobile radio technology as a data link for UAVs, it must first be investigated whether it is suitable for this purpose. To accomplish this, measurements were carried out in the air using UAVs to evaluate the signal quality at operating heights of up to 150 meters above ground. The results are discussed in this paper.