Aerial 5G Non-Public Networks: Link Budget, Coverage, and Capacity Analysis

by Jyrki Penttinen, Alphacore, Tempe, Arizona.

Alphacore’s latest research paper “Aerial 5G Non-Public Networks: Link Budget, Coverage, and Capacity Analysis” is published in International Journal on Advances in Networks and Services, vol 19 no 1 & 2, year 2026 by IARIA. 

Apart from their commercial use, cellular systems can be deployed also as complementing ad-hoc networks, e.g., in emergency solutions after a natural disaster that has damaged telecommunications infrastructure, or in scenarios where non-permanent augmented capacity and radio coverage are desired. A Fifth Generation (5G) private mobile network model through temporally deployed base stations can provide a suitable platform for data transfer and signaling in such situations, enabling enhanced communications and situation awareness also for, e.g., defense groups.