Abstract : The global expansion of Internet connectivity is a well-documented trend, especially in urban and developed regions. However, many rural and low-income populations still face limited or no Internet access, where the absence of Internet connectivity impedes crucial services such as remote healthcare, emergency assistance, distance learning, and personal communication. In this context, the main challenge for the research community is to expand digital coverage in rural areas, thus providing a better quality of life and service in the area. Existing solutions often focus on optimizing isolated metrics (such as latency, energy consumption, or throughput) limiting their flexibility and real-world applicability, which reduces their applicability and flexibility, respectively. This paper addresses this digital divide by proposing an innovative strategy using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to create a network and deliver digital services to remote rural areas without Internet access. The strategy involves breaking down Internet of Things (IoT) applications into microservices and deploying them via UAVs. This approach achieves both reduced latency and lower energy consumption, improving the quality of service for latency-sensitive applications. The focus is particularly crucial for applications with stringent requirements, such as those related to remote health care or emergency services. Simulations conducted in a realistic scenario validate the efficacy of the proposed solution. The results showcase a notable reduction in energy consumption and latency associated with UAVs while handling such requests.
Index terms : Latency, Energy efficiency, UAV, IoT, Microservices