The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as base stations (BSs) is envisaged as a key enabler for the fifth generation (5G) and beyond-5G networks. Specifically, aerial base stations (UAV-BS) are expected to provide ubiquitous connectivity and high spectral efficiency. To this end, we present in this correspondence an in-depth look into the integration of rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) with UAV-BSs and downlink transmissions. A non-convex problem of joint UAV placement, RSMA precoding, and rate splitting, aiming to maximize the weighted sum data rate of users is formulated. Due to its complexity, two sub-problems are investigated, namely the UAV placement and RSMA parameters optimization. The resulting solutions are then combined to propose a novel alternating optimization method. Simulation results illustrate the latter's efficiency compared to baseline approaches.
@article{arxiv.2011.05019,
title = {On the Downlink Performance of RSMA-based UAV Communications},
author = {Wael Jaafar and Shimaa Naser and Sami Muhaidat and Paschalis C. Sofotasios and Halim Yanikomeroglu},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2011.05019},
year = {2020}
}
Comments
6 pages, 4 figures; Accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology as a correspondance