Remote and Rural Connectivity via Multi-tier Systems through SDN-Managed Drone Networks

Rapid technological advancements in wireless networks have promised reliable and fast Internet connectivity across the globe. However, a challenging barrier to global connectivity is the lack of connections in rural, remote or damaged locations due to lack of cellular infrastructure. This paper proposes the use of drones, managed by software-defined network control, to provide wireless networking capabilities to such areas. Software-defined networks (SDN) can provide management of routing tables, protocols and algorithms for the purposes of path selection, energy preservation, quality of service, or security. We provide a selection of hardware that can be used to develop a suitable experimental communications-based drone network. Simulations were conducted using Mininet-WiFi and the ONOS controller to gauge the performance for a varying number of drones. Using our controller, we can achieve a less than 25% packet loss for WiFi connectivity delivered using 20 low cost, low power drones as access points.