Swarm of UAVs for Network Management in 6G: A Technical Review

• Published in: IEEE eTransactions on network and service management Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 741 - 761
• Main Authors: Khan, Muhammad Asghar, Kumar, Neeraj, Mohsan, Syed Agha Hassnain, Khan, Wali Ullah, Nasralla, Moustafa M., Alsharif, Mohammed H., Zywiolek, Justyna, Ullah, Insaf
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.03.2023; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: 5G mobile communication; 6G mobile communication; 6G networks; AI/ML; Artificial intelligence; Autonomous aerial vehicles; Blockchain; Blockchains; Cellular communication; Cryptography; Energy efficiency; Network design; Network latency; Privacy; security and privacy; State-of-the-art reviews; UAV; Unmanned aerial vehicles; Wireless communication
• ISSN: 1932-4537; 1932-4537
• DOI: 10.1109/TNSM.2022.3213370

Fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks have led to the implementation of beyond 5G (B5G) networks, which are capable of incorporating autonomous services to swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They provide capacity expansion strategies to address massive connectivity issues and guarantee ultra-high throughput and low latency, especially in extreme or emergency situations where network density, bandwidth, and traffic patterns fluctuate. On the one hand, 6G technology integrates AI/ML, IoT, and blockchain to establish ultra-reliable, intelligent, secure, and ubiquitous UAV networks. 6G networks, on the other hand, rely on new enabling technologies such as air interface and transmission technologies, as well as a unique network design, posing new challenges for the swarm of UAVs.Keeping these challenges in mind, this article focuses on the security and privacy, intelligence, and energy-efficiency issues faced by swarms of UAVs operating in 6G mobile network. In this state-of-the-art review, we integrated blockchain and AI/ML with UAV networks utilizing the 6G ecosystem. The key findings are then presented, and potential research challenges are identified. We conclude the review by shedding light on future research in this emerging field of research.