Assessing the Performance of a 60-GHz Dense Small-Cell Network Deployment from Ray-Based Simulations

Future dense small-cell networks are one key 5G candidates to offer outdoor high access data rates, especially in millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency bands. At those frequencies, the free space propagation loss and shadowing (from buildings, vegetation or any kind of obstacles) are far stronger than in the traditional radio cellular spectrum. Therefore, the cell range is expected to be limited to 50 - 100 meters, and directive high gain antennas are required at least for the base stations. This paper investigates the kind of topology that is required to serve a suburban area with a small-cell network operating at 60 GHz and equipped with beam-steering antennas. A real environment is considered to introduce practical deployment and propagation constraints. The analysis relies on Monte-Carlo system simulations with non-full buffer, and ray-based predictions. The ray-tracing techniques are today identified as a relevant solution to capture the main channel properties impacting the beam-steering performance (angular dispersion, inter-link correlation); and the one involved in the present study was specifically enhanced to deal with detailed vegetation modeling. In addition to the user outage, the paper evaluates the evolution of the inter-cell interference along with the user density, and investigates the network behavior in case of local strong obstructions.Comment: IEEE 21st International Workshop on Computer Aided Modelling and Design of Communication Links and Networks (CAMAD), October 201

Ray-based Deterministic Channel Modelling for sub-THz Band

Future wireless communications systems will require large network capacities beyond the capabilities of present and upcoming 5G technology. The trend of considering higher frequencies for their large bandwidths continues today into the sub-THz domain. The BRAVE project considers the frequencies in the 90-200 GHz spectrum, which have been considered in this paper. The challenges of channel modelling at sub-THz frequencies are described along with extensions made to a ray-based deterministic tool. The geographical and physical accuracies inherent to the ray-based tool are exploited to simulate two different scenarios. The first scenario is an indoor office scenario and the second is an outdoor in-street scenario. The application of the updated channel modelling properties of the ray-based tool provides interesting perspectives into the sub-THz channel modelling. This permits the development of realistic models for the evaluation, characterization and eventual deployment of such systems