# Cellular and Virtualization Technologies for UAVs:
###### Abstract  
The Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) ecosystem is exponentially growing in both recreational and professional fields to provide novel services and applications to consumers from multiple engineering fields. However, this technology has only scraped the surface of its potential, especially in those cases that require fast reaction times. Accordingly, the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) project aims at efficiently managing the air traffic for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations, including those cases where UAVs might be remotely managed from a completely different geographical location. With these considerations in mind, this article presents a cellular-assisted UAVs testbed used to complete a mission managed beyond the radio line-of-sight (BRLoS), as well as introducing a virtualization platform for deploying services using containerization technology. In addition, the article conducts a communication performance evaluation in order to determine if the testbed equipment meets the requirements to carry out this BRLoS management. Finally, indoor flight operations are carried out to demonstrate the feasibility and proper operation of the testbed. U  
1  
(UTM) project [2; 3]. Like the internationally well-established Air Traffic Management (ATM) ecosystem, the UTM's aim is to manage automated, safe, and efficient low altitude airspace operations in UAS operations. Notwithstanding their similarities, which derive from tackling a common issue between them (controlling airspace), UTM and ATM have significant differences. The lower airspace (managed by UTM) is continuously subjected to several changes, and the situation on the ground must be continuously monitored. Besides, the trajectories calculation at lower airspace must take into account not only the collisions with other vehicles, but the ones with buildings and potential obstacles as well. UAVs are commonly controlled using Radio Line-of-Sight (RLoS) from a Ground Control Station (GCS) (i.e., a direct link from the GCS to the UAVs). In particular, Small UAVs (SUAV) must operate in a relatively close area (depending on the selected RLoS technology) to the GCS to enable the connection. In contrast, the UTM project researches (among other topics) enabling Beyond Radio visual Line-of-Sight (BRLoS) UAV operations at low altitudes (below 120 m above ground level), facilitating and boosting near-future UAV commercial applications. Figure 1 presents the RLoS and BRLoS Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) considered above (UASs are normally understood to be both the UAV and the GCS working together). As it can be appreciated in both systems, it is essential to communicate the UAV controller with the UTM to enable emerging applications, since different UASs may coexist in the same airspace. Many efforts over these research lines are also being invested in by the European Union by the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR). The SESAR initiative is working on the development of U-space [4; 5], a set of new services to uphold safe, effective, and secure access to European airspace for large numbers of UASs. In addition, many projects have been funded by the European Union to develop safe and efficient UAS traffic management. These projects include 5D-AEROSAFE (5D-AeroSafe: [[https://5d-aerosafe.eu/](https://5d-aerosafe.eu/)]([https://5d-aerosafe.eu/](https://5d-aerosafe.eu/)) (accessed on 27 April 2020)), DRONES4 SAFETY (Drones4 Safety: [https://drones4 safety.eu/](https://drones4 safety.eu/) (accessed on 27 April 2020)), RAPID (RAPID: [[https://rapid2020.eu/](https://rapid2020.eu/)]([https://rapid2020.eu/](https://rapid2020.eu/)) (accessed on 27 April 2020)) or Labyrinth (Labyrinth: [[http://labyrinth2020.eu/](http://labyrinth2020.eu/)]([http://labyrinth2020.eu/](http://labyrinth2020.eu/)) (accessed on 27 April 2020)). This research work has been done within the framework of this Labyrinth project.