Overview
ISO/IEC 4005-1:2023 defines the communication model and requirements for an Unmanned Aircraft Area Network (UAAN) - a wireless distributed communication network that supports unmanned aircraft (UA) services in level II airspace (15–120 m above ground). The standard describes a synchronous, multichannel architecture intended for licensed frequency bands to reduce interference and enable reliable operation of control communication, video communication, and shared communication among UAs, controllers, vertiports, obstacles, landing devices and ground equipment.
Key technical topics and requirements
- Communication model: A wireless distributed model where units autonomously allocate, occupy, detect collisions for, and release radio resources without a central controller.
- Three communication types:
- Shared communication (SC) - broadcast and data exchange among many UA-related units.
- Control communication (CC) - low-latency, reliable links between a controller and a UA.
- Video communication (VC) - high-throughput links for video streaming to a controller or receiver.
- Multichannel structure: Separate tone channel for resource coordination (allocation, collision detection, environment sensing) and separate data channels for payload transmission to achieve low collision probability and real-time operation.
- Operational requirements:
- Safety, economy, convenience as primary objectives.
- Low resource collision probability, real-time collision detection, and rapid communication environment investigation.
- Support for many link types (UA-to-UA, UA-to-ground-equipment, UA-to-landing-device, UA-to-obstacle) using minimal hardware complexity.
- Capability for slot planning, slot maps, and tone/data slot management to coordinate transmissions.
- Interoperation and layering: Describes how the three communication types interoperate and how UAAN interworks with upper-layer services and UA management systems.
Practical applications and who uses this standard
ISO/IEC 4005-1 is intended for stakeholders building or operating UA communications in low-altitude airspace:
- UAV system designers and integrators who need a communication model for reliable control and video links.
- Wireless protocol and chipset vendors implementing UAAN physical and data link behavior.
- Vertiport and landing-site equipment manufacturers (landing devices, obstacle beacons).
- Ground-equipment and UA management system developers that consume broadcast/shared information.
- Aviation regulators and service providers defining operational requirements for level II UA operations.
Adopting this standard helps ensure safer, scalable, and spectrum-efficient UA communications through licensed-band, distributed resource coordination.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 4005-2: UAAN - Physical and data link protocols for shared communication
- ISO/IEC 4005-3: UAAN - Physical and data link protocols for control communication
- ISO/IEC 4005-4: UAAN - Physical and data link protocols for video communication
- ISO 21384-4: Unmanned aircraft systems - Vocabulary
Keywords: ISO/IEC 4005-1, UAAN, Unmanned Aircraft Area Network, communication model, control communication, video communication, shared communication, wireless distributed communication, tone channel, data channel, level II.
Open preview (PDF)Telecommunications and information exchange between systems — Unmanned aircraft area network (UAAN) — Part 1: Communication model and requirements
