UAV-Aided Interference Assessment for Private 5G NR Deployments: Challenges and Solutions

Industrial automation has created a high demand for private 5G networks, the deployment of which calls for an efficient and reliable solution to ensure strict compliance with regulatory emission limits. While traditional methods for measuring outdoor interference include collecting real-world data by walking or driving, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offers an attractive alternative due to their flexible mobility and adaptive altitude. As UAVs perform measurements quickly and semiautomatically, they can potentially assist in near-real-time adjustments of the network configuration and fine-tuning its parameters, such as antenna settings and transmit power, as well as help improve indoor connectivity while respecting outdoor emission constraints. This article offers a firsthand tutorial on using aerial 5G emission assessment for interference management in nonpublic networks by reviewing the key challenges of UAV-mounted radio scanner measurements. In particular, we outline the challenges of practical assessment of the outdoor interference originating from a local indoor 5G network while discussing regulatory and other related constraints, and address practical methods and tools while summarizing the recent results of our measurement campaign. The reported proof of concept confirms that UAV-based systems represent a promising tool for capturing outdoor interference from private 5G systems.