Abstract : The current development of 5G networks represents a breakthrough in the design of communication networks, for its ability to provide a single platform enabling a wide variety of data services. With these significant enhancements enabled by 5G, it is already possible to envision the needs towards 6G. Providing “connectivity from the sky” is one innovative trend for upcoming 6G communication systems. Satellites, high and low altitude platforms (HAP and LAP), drones, aircrafts, and airships are being considered as candidates for deploying wireless communications complementing terrestrial communications. Combining these network elements, Aerial Access Networks (AANs) have attracted significant attention from both academia and industry, and are recognized as a candidate solution for 6G communications. AANs are heterogeneous networks that are engineered to utilize satellites, HAPs, and LAPs to build network access platforms. Unlike terrestrial wireless networks, AANs are characterized by dynamic, thus frequently changed, network topologies and more vulnerable communication connections. However, AANs are not intended to replace the existing technologies, but instead to work with them in a complementary and integrated fashion. Therefore, AANs are accompanied with the demand for seamless integration of heterogeneous networks, such that the network Quality-of-Service (QoS) can be improved. Therefore, it is essential to develop new communications, signal processing, and optimization approaches to accommodate diverse services and applications with different QoS requirements in various scenarios. This IEEE/KICS Journal of Communication Networks Special Issue aims to solicit high-quality unpublished research papers by experts from mobile communication industries (operators, telecom vendors, as well as consulting firms) and academia in the fields of AANs. In the following, we would like to introduce the four excellent papers included in this Special Issue.
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