135 research outputs found
Terahertz Wireless Channels: A Holistic Survey on Measurement, Modeling, and Analysis
Terahertz (0.1-10 THz) communications are envisioned as a key technology for
sixth generation (6G) wireless systems. The study of underlying THz wireless
propagation channels provides the foundations for the development of reliable
THz communication systems and their applications. This article provides a
comprehensive overview of the study of THz wireless channels. First, the three
most popular THz channel measurement methodologies, namely, frequency-domain
channel measurement based on a vector network analyzer (VNA), time-domain
channel measurement based on sliding correlation, and time-domain channel
measurement based on THz pulses from time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS), are
introduced and compared. Current channel measurement systems and measurement
campaigns are reviewed. Then, existing channel modeling methodologies are
categorized into deterministic, stochastic, and hybrid approaches.
State-of-the-art THz channel models are analyzed, and the channel simulators
that are based on them are introduced. Next, an in-depth review of channel
characteristics in the THz band is presented. Finally, open problems and future
research directions for research studies on THz wireless channels for 6G are
elaborated.Comment: to appear in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial
6G Wireless Systems: Vision, Requirements, Challenges, Insights, and Opportunities
Mobile communications have been undergoing a generational change every ten
years or so. However, the time difference between the so-called "G's" is also
decreasing. While fifth-generation (5G) systems are becoming a commercial
reality, there is already significant interest in systems beyond 5G, which we
refer to as the sixth-generation (6G) of wireless systems. In contrast to the
already published papers on the topic, we take a top-down approach to 6G. We
present a holistic discussion of 6G systems beginning with lifestyle and
societal changes driving the need for next generation networks. This is
followed by a discussion into the technical requirements needed to enable 6G
applications, based on which we dissect key challenges, as well as
possibilities for practically realizable system solutions across all layers of
the Open Systems Interconnection stack. Since many of the 6G applications will
need access to an order-of-magnitude more spectrum, utilization of frequencies
between 100 GHz and 1 THz becomes of paramount importance. As such, the 6G
eco-system will feature a diverse range of frequency bands, ranging from below
6 GHz up to 1 THz. We comprehensively characterize the limitations that must be
overcome to realize working systems in these bands; and provide a unique
perspective on the physical, as well as higher layer challenges relating to the
design of next generation core networks, new modulation and coding methods,
novel multiple access techniques, antenna arrays, wave propagation,
radio-frequency transceiver design, as well as real-time signal processing. We
rigorously discuss the fundamental changes required in the core networks of the
future that serves as a major source of latency for time-sensitive
applications. While evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of key 6G
technologies, we differentiate what may be achievable over the next decade,
relative to what is possible.Comment: Accepted for Publication into the Proceedings of the IEEE; 32 pages,
10 figures, 5 table
Coverage, Rate, and Last Hop Selection in Multi-Hop Communications in Highway Scenarios
The recent 3GPP initiative to extend IAB technology to mobile nodes in recently stated Release 18 opens up new opportunities for services operators in highway scenarios, where the extreme density of base stations (BS) is required to deliver uninterrupted coverage. The latter problem is specifically important for millimeter wave (mmWave) and future sub-terahertz (sub-THz) deployments. However, in such systems, there are inherent trade-offs between the rate provided over the multi-hop chain, the so-called “bridge”, and the inter-site distance. One of the critical factors involved in this trade-off is the choice of the last hop. In this paper, we utilize realistic channel measurements at 300 GHz to develop a framework characterizing the above-mentioned trade-off. Then, we proceed proposing a simple technique to maximize the latter by addressing the “last-hop problem” and compare its performance to the set of alternative solutions. Our numerical results illustrate that bumper location is better in terms of relaying communication distance. Furthermore, the proposed last hop selection strategies allow for extreme performance gains in terms of data rate as compared to the traditional approaches reaching 100% for large ISD and 400–500% for small ISDs. In absolute numbers, the proposed relying with the last hop selection strategy allows for reducing the required BS density along the highways by 15–30% depending on the vehicle density and required level of connectivity
Ondas milimétricas e MIMO massivo para otimização da capacidade e cobertura de redes heterogeneas de 5G
Today's Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) networks cannot support
the exponential growth in mobile traffic forecast for the next decade. By
2020, according to Ericsson, 6 billion mobile subscribers worldwide are projected
to generate 46 exabytes of mobile data traffic monthly from 24 billion
connected devices, smartphones and short-range Internet of Things (IoT)
devices being the key prosumers. In response, 5G networks are foreseen
to markedly outperform legacy 4G systems. Triggered by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the IMT-2020 network initiative, 5G
will support three broad categories of use cases: enhanced mobile broadband
(eMBB) for multi-Gbps data rate applications; ultra-reliable and low latency
communications (URLLC) for critical scenarios; and massive machine
type communications (mMTC) for massive connectivity. Among the several
technology enablers being explored for 5G, millimeter-wave (mmWave)
communication, massive MIMO antenna arrays and ultra-dense small cell
networks (UDNs) feature as the dominant technologies. These technologies
in synergy are anticipated to provide the 1000_ capacity increase for 5G
networks (relative to 4G) through the combined impact of large additional
bandwidth, spectral efficiency (SE) enhancement and high frequency reuse,
respectively. However, although these technologies can pave the way towards
gigabit wireless, there are still several challenges to solve in terms of
how we can fully harness the available bandwidth efficiently through appropriate
beamforming and channel modeling approaches. In this thesis, we
investigate the system performance enhancements realizable with mmWave
massive MIMO in 5G UDN and cellular infrastructure-to-everything (C-I2X)
application scenarios involving pedestrian and vehicular users. As a critical
component of the system-level simulation approach adopted in this thesis,
we implemented 3D channel models for the accurate characterization of the
wireless channels in these scenarios and for realistic performance evaluation.
To address the hardware cost, complexity and power consumption of the
massive MIMO architectures, we propose a novel generalized framework for
hybrid beamforming (HBF) array structures. The generalized model reveals
the opportunities that can be harnessed with the overlapped subarray structures
for a balanced trade-o_ between SE and energy efficiently (EE) of 5G
networks. The key results in this investigation show that mmWave massive
MIMO can deliver multi-Gbps rates for 5G whilst maintaining energy-efficient operation of the network.As redes LTE-A atuais não são capazes de suportar o crescimento exponencial
de tráfego que está previsto para a próxima década. De acordo
com a previsão da Ericsson, espera-se que em 2020, a nível global, 6 mil
milhões de subscritores venham a gerar mensalmente 46 exa bytes de tráfego
de dados a partir de 24 mil milhões de dispositivos ligados à rede móvel,
sendo os telefones inteligentes e dispositivos IoT de curto alcance os principais
responsáveis por tal nível de tráfego. Em resposta a esta exigência,
espera-se que as redes de 5a geração (5G) tenham um desempenho substancialmente
superior às redes de 4a geração (4G) atuais. Desencadeado pelo
UIT (União Internacional das Telecomunicações) no âmbito da iniciativa
IMT-2020, o 5G irá suportar três grandes tipos de utilizações: banda larga
móvel capaz de suportar aplicações com débitos na ordem de vários Gbps;
comunicações de baixa latência e alta fiabilidade indispensáveis em cenários
de emergência; comunicações massivas máquina-a-máquina para conectividade
generalizada. Entre as várias tecnologias capacitadoras que estão a ser
exploradas pelo 5G, as comunicações através de ondas milimétricas, os agregados
MIMO massivo e as redes celulares ultradensas (RUD) apresentam-se
como sendo as tecnologias fundamentais. Antecipa-se que o conjunto
destas tecnologias venha a fornecer às redes 5G um aumento de capacidade
de 1000x através da utilização de maiores larguras de banda, melhoria da
eficiência espectral, e elevada reutilização de frequências respetivamente.
Embora estas tecnologias possam abrir caminho para as redes sem fios
com débitos na ordem dos gigabits, existem ainda vários desafios que têm
que ser resolvidos para que seja possível aproveitar totalmente a largura de
banda disponível de maneira eficiente utilizando abordagens de formatação
de feixe e de modelação de canal adequadas. Nesta tese investigamos a
melhoria de desempenho do sistema conseguida através da utilização de
ondas milimétricas e agregados MIMO massivo em cenários de redes celulares
ultradensas de 5a geração e em cenários 'infraestrutura celular-para-qualquer
coisa' (do inglês: cellular infrastructure-to-everything) envolvendo
utilizadores pedestres e veiculares. Como um componente fundamental das
simulações de sistema utilizadas nesta tese é o canal de propagação, implementamos modelos de canal tridimensional (3D) para caracterizar de
forma precisa o canal de propagação nestes cenários e assim conseguir uma
avaliação de desempenho mais condizente com a realidade. Para resolver os
problemas associados ao custo do equipamento, complexidade e consumo
de energia das arquiteturas MIMO massivo, propomos um modelo inovador
de agregados com formatação de feixe híbrida. Este modelo genérico revela
as oportunidades que podem ser aproveitadas através da sobreposição
de sub-agregados no sentido de obter um compromisso equilibrado entre
eficiência espectral (ES) e eficiência energética (EE) nas redes 5G. Os principais
resultados desta investigação mostram que a utilização conjunta de
ondas milimétricas e de agregados MIMO massivo possibilita a obtenção, em
simultâneo, de taxas de transmissão na ordem de vários Gbps e a operação
de rede de forma energeticamente eficiente.Programa Doutoral em Telecomunicaçõe
A Prospective Look: Key Enabling Technologies, Applications and Open Research Topics in 6G Networks
The fifth generation (5G) mobile networks are envisaged to enable a plethora
of breakthrough advancements in wireless technologies, providing support of a
diverse set of services over a single platform. While the deployment of 5G
systems is scaling up globally, it is time to look ahead for beyond 5G systems.
This is driven by the emerging societal trends, calling for fully automated
systems and intelligent services supported by extended reality and haptics
communications. To accommodate the stringent requirements of their prospective
applications, which are data-driven and defined by extremely low-latency,
ultra-reliable, fast and seamless wireless connectivity, research initiatives
are currently focusing on a progressive roadmap towards the sixth generation
(6G) networks. In this article, we shed light on some of the major enabling
technologies for 6G, which are expected to revolutionize the fundamental
architectures of cellular networks and provide multiple homogeneous artificial
intelligence-empowered services, including distributed communications, control,
computing, sensing, and energy, from its core to its end nodes. Particularly,
this paper aims to answer several 6G framework related questions: What are the
driving forces for the development of 6G? How will the enabling technologies of
6G differ from those in 5G? What kind of applications and interactions will
they support which would not be supported by 5G? We address these questions by
presenting a profound study of the 6G vision and outlining five of its
disruptive technologies, i.e., terahertz communications, programmable
metasurfaces, drone-based communications, backscatter communications and
tactile internet, as well as their potential applications. Then, by leveraging
the state-of-the-art literature surveyed for each technology, we discuss their
requirements, key challenges, and open research problems
A prospective look: key enabling technologies, applications and open research topics in 6G networks
The fifth generation (5G) mobile networks are envisaged to enable a plethora of breakthrough advancements in wireless technologies, providing support of a diverse set of services over a single platform. While the deployment of 5G systems is scaling up globally, it is time to look ahead for beyond 5G systems. This is mainly driven by the emerging societal trends, calling for fully automated systems and intelligent services supported by extended reality and haptics communications. To accommodate the stringent requirements of their prospective applications, which are data-driven and defined by extremely low-latency, ultra-reliable, fast and seamless wireless connectivity, research initiatives are currently focusing on a progressive roadmap towards the sixth generation (6G) networks, which are expected to bring transformative changes to this premise. In this article, we shed light on some of the major enabling technologies for 6G, which are expected to revolutionize the fundamental architectures of cellular networks and provide multiple homogeneous artificial intelligence-empowered services, including distributed communications, control, computing, sensing, and energy, from its core to its end nodes. In particular, the present paper aims to answer several 6G framework related questions: What are the driving forces for the development of 6G? How will the enabling technologies of 6G differ from those in 5G? What kind of applications and interactions will they support which would not be supported by 5G? We address these questions by presenting a comprehensive study of the 6G vision and outlining seven of its disruptive technologies, i.e., mmWave communications, terahertz communications, optical wireless communications, programmable metasurfaces, drone-based communications, backscatter communications and tactile internet, as well as their potential applications. Then, by leveraging the state-of-the-art literature surveyed for each technology, we discuss the associated requirements, key challenges, and open research problems. These discussions are thereafter used to open up the horizon for future research directions
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