Analysis of Altitude-Dependent Electronic Conspicuity in Cellular-Connected UAVs
For cellular network operators and UAV system designers, this work provides practical insights into altitude-dependent interference challenges, though it is an incremental analysis of known phenomena.
This paper analyzes how UAV altitude affects electronic conspicuity in cellular networks, finding that higher altitudes increase inter-cell interference and reduce link reliability due to stronger multi-cell interaction and fragmented association regions, supported by helikite measurements and simulations.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly integrated into cellular networks to support emerging Internet of Things (IoT) applications. In such settings, reliable communication is critical for electronic conspicuity (EC), enabling UAV detection and tracking in shared airspace. However, UAVs operate at elevated altitudes where enhanced line-of-sight (LOS) visibility leads to simultaneous exposure to multiple base stations, resulting in strong inter-cell interference. This article presents a system-level analysis of how UAV altitude influences the radio environment and affects EC reliability. Using spatial and network-level metrics, including serving distance, association behavior, and aggregate received power, we show that increasing altitude leads to stronger multi-cell interaction, reduced dominance of nearby sectors, and interference-dominated connectivity. These effects result in fragmented association regions and increased variability in link performance. The analysis is supported by measurement data from a helikite-based spectrum monitoring campaign and corresponding simulation results. Despite differences in experimental conditions, both approaches exhibit consistent altitude-dependent trends. These findings provide practical insights for designing altitude-aware and interference-aware cellular systems to support reliable UAV operation.