UAV/HAPS Feeder Link in W and D Bands: A Feasibility Study

The airborne segment is of capital importance for TN-NTN integration, in 6 G -and-beyond telecommunication systems. This paper deals with the practical design, in terms of hardware, antennas and bandwidth, of a feeder link for UAV/HAPS in W and D bands, where currently there are no operational air or space systems. Our results show that delivering 2 Gbits/s for the UAV and 5 Gbits/s for the HAPS in the downlink is possible even in rainy conditions. Exploiting dual-polarization links and using a bandwidth of 5 GHz, a downlink throughput as high as 40 Gbits/s is achievable for both considered bands in clear-sky conditions.