Toward 6G: Spectrum Management in Low-Altitude Aerial Information Networks

The low-altitude economy (LAE) is an emerging economic paradigm that has attracted widespread attention from both academia and industry. Moreover, with the development of the six-generation (6G) mobile networks, LAE is creating diverse low-altitude application scenarios and fostering emerging industries. However, the take-off of the LAE has witnessed a proliferation of low-altitude wireless devices, creating unprecedented spectrum demands and posing significant challenges in terms of low-altitude network security. Efficient spectrum management in the low-altitude aerial information network is a powerful technique to improve spectrum utilization, and offers new opportunities for low-altitude communications. Therefore, in this paper, we first present promising low-altitude operating frequency bands. Then, we elaborate on the unique low-altitude communication characteristics, including the high mobility and compact structure of low-altitude vehicles. Moreover, we present key enabling techniques for low-altitude spectrum management, including spectrum monitoring, spectrum allocation, interference management, spectrum sharing, and integrated sensing and communication. Finally, key challenges and open issues are outlined to facilitate the applications of spectrum management in the low-altitude aerial information network.