Traffic Control Analysis in High Altitude Platforms using a Semi-Markov Process Approach

This study uses a cooperative communication approach to propose a traffic model for relay nodes in space-airground networks. The proposed model is employed in threelayer networks: low earth satellite (LEO), high altitude platform (HAP), and user devices on the ground. This type of aerial communication network is adopted in most Internet of Things (IoT) networks. The analysis has been carried out by constructing traffic models. The traffic model has been analyzed by applying the semi-Markov process due to the non-exponential behaviour of some of the transitions of states. The network’s practical lifetime, the average delay of source/relay packets, and throughput are investigated through the novel traffic model. Finally, through numerical illustrations, the impact of the performance measures is shown by conducting a sensitivity analysis.