Your role is to carry out thesis work on: “Evaluation and modeling of the impact of trajectories of drones connected to a cellular network” Global context and problematic of the subject The use of drones is booming, especially in areas such as surveillance and delivery. As such, the mobile communications ecosystem (eg: [1], [2], [3]) studies the needs and the impacts of these drones in terms of cellular connectivity. The impacts are still difficult to predict due to drone specificities (eg: altitude), but machine learning techniques increasingly allow advanced predictions [4] and offer the opportunity to try to meet this challenge. Scientific objective – results and obstacles to overcome

The objective of the thesis is to model and evaluate the impact of connected drone trajectories on a radio access network, taking into account road axes and cellular coverage of one or mutiple operators.

The purpose of the model will be to take into account planned drone routes to 1/ minimize the impact in terms of traffic on a given RAN (exclusively Orange RAN, or multi-MNO RAN, etc.), 2/ avoid interference between drones and sensitive areas, 3/ maintain good QoE for drone-type User-Equipment (UE) as well as for classic UEs References [1] Exploring future opportunities for mobile networks and the drone industry, use-case 5, 2021, https://www.gsma.com/iot/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Drone-Benefits-Analysis-Report-final.pdf [2] GSMA, “Interface for Data Exchange between MNOs and the UTM Ecosystem”, 2021, https://www.gsma.com/iot/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ACJA-NetworkCoverage-Service-Definition-v1.00.pdf [3] 3GPP “New SID on Additional capabilities of mobile networks for drone operations and management”, China Mobile, November 2021, https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/tsg_sa/WG1_Serv/TSGS1_96e_EM_Nov2021/Docs/S1-214035.zip [4] “ETA Prediction with Graph Neural Networks in Google Maps”, 2021, https://arxiv.org/pdf/2108.11482.pdf about you Skills (scientific and technical) and personal qualities required by the position Knowledge of mobile networks, Deep Learning (ideally PyTorch or Tensorflow) Graph theory Python, Shell Matlab Good communication in English Team work Curiosity, open-mindedness Education required (Master's degree, engineering degree, PhD, scientific and technical field, etc.) Degree: Master's degree or engineering degree Field: Computer science or statistics with a focus on machine learning Desired experiences (internships, …) Having professional experience (including an internship) with a strong "Machine Learning" or "Network" component will be an asset for this position. Participation in an open-source project and/or research publication will also be an added advantage.

Additional information

The innovative nature of this PhD lies in the objective of integrating the demand for connectivity linked to the trajectories of drones in the dimensioning of cellular networks. The work will be carried out in a recognized team on the evolution of the architecture of the networks of the future, a team within which there are multiple experts in the field of networks, standardization (3GPP, ITU, IETF), but also big-data and artificial intelligence. As such, the thesis will benefit from strong technical support as well as state-of-the-art equipment. The thesis will take place at Orange Labs, in Lannion (Côtes d'Armor, France), and will be an opportunity to meet researchers and PhD students working in many fields. department Orange Innovation brings together the research and innovation activities and expertise of the Group's entities and countries.

We work every day to ensure that Orange is recognized as an innovative operator by its customers and we create value for the Group and the Brand in each of our projects. With 740 researchers, thousands of marketers, developers, designers and data analysts, it is the expertise of our 6,000 employees that fuels this ambition every day. Orange Innovation anticipates technological breakthroughs and supports the Group's countries and entities in making the best technological choices to meet the needs of our consumer and business customers. Within the Innovation branch, you will be integrated into a research team at the forefront of innovation and expertise on the architecture of the networks of the future (5G+, drones, network energy consumption). You will be part of a research ecosystem and develop your work with researchers in charge of studies on 5G, 6G and drones as well as experts in big data and artificial intelligence. contract Thesis