A method includes registering, by a primary cell site processor, an unmanned aerial vehicle, receiving, by the primary cell site processor, a list of one or more potential secondary cell sites from the unmanned aerial vehicle, timing advances associated with the one or more secondary cell sites, deriving, by the primary cell site processor, a number of component carriers within each of the one or more potential secondary cell sites, selecting, by the primary cell site processor, one or more secondary cell sites from the one or more potential secondary cell sites, and transmitting, by the primary cell site processor, instructions to the one or more secondary cell sites to provide a component carrier to the unmanned aerial vehicle.