  With the advancement in drone technology, in just a few years, drones will be
assisting humans in every domain. But there are many challenges to be tackled,
communication being the chief one. This paper aims at providing insights into
the latest UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) communication technologies through
investigation of suitable task modules, antennas, resource handling platforms,
and network architectures. Additionally, we explore techniques such as machine
learning and path planning to enhance existing drone communication methods.
Encryption and optimization techniques for ensuring long lasting and secure
communications, as well as for power management, are discussed. Moreover,
applications of UAV networks for different contextual uses ranging from
navigation to surveillance, URLLC (Ultra reliable and low latency
communications), edge computing and work related to artificial intelligence are
examined. In particular, the intricate interplay between UAV, advanced cellular
communication, and internet of things constitutes one of the focal points of
this paper. The survey encompasses lessons learned, insights, challenges, open
issues, and future directions in UAV communications. Our literature review
reveals the need for more research work on drone to drone and drone to device
communications.
