Covert Communication of Joint Relay Selection and Jamming in Random Wireless Networks

Abstract

This letter investigates the performance of a covert communication system based on a novel distance-dependent relay selection scheme, aiming to enhance the reliability of information transmission. Specifically, we model the locations of multiple relay nodes using a Poisson Point Process (PPP) and incorporate positions of both the transmitter (Alice) and the receiver (Bob) during the relay selection process. By constructing the perpendicular bisector of the line connecting Alice and Bob, we select relay nodes located on Alice’s side. From these candidate relay nodes, we choose the $k_{th}$ nearest node to Bob. Using stochastic geometry, we derive the performance metrics for both covertness and reliability of the system. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme significantly outperforms existing relay selection strategies in terms of transmission performance. It is noteworthy that, due to the inherent trade-off between covertness and reliability, this scheme achieves improved reliability at the cost of a slight reduction in covertness.