Feick, Rodolfo

We investigate propagation characteristics for wireless channels, applicable to Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) and relay-based networks with lamppost-height nodes at 5.5 GHz. We compare our empirical results with a variety of models that have been proposed for system simulation. Our work is based on an extensive measurement campaign in an urban environment, where we simultaneously measured base-relay, relay-mobile and base-mobile links. This simultaneity allows us to conclude that low-height relay nodes offer a minor path-loss advantage over the base-user link. Moreover, within the range of relay heights that we measured of 2.8 and 4.7 m, we observed no signi?cant gain associated with choosing the higher relay placement. Our results however also show that the base-relay link is quite stable over time and thus will lend itself to multi-antenna techniques requiring a small overhead in channel state information feedback. Our results add to the empirical data that the standards models are based on, providing path-loss results obtained simultaneously for all links of an urban relay-based system.

Empirical characterization of the achievable rates for a wearable multi-antenna terminal shows the potential advantages of deploying a large number of antennas at the user end. We focus on the challenges and requirements of the broadband communication in future emergency communication systems, specifically addressing the outdoor–to–indoor propagation scenario, where the first responder is within an underground area such as a garage or basement. The measurement campaign undertaken characterizes the flat fading multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel matrices at 3.5 GHz for a maximum of M = 30 antennas deployed at the base station (BS), and N = 12 wearable antennas at the user. The achievable rates are obtained for two transmission strategies that account for the different levels of channel knowledge. In both cases, all the MIMO processing is carried out at the BS.

Next generation wireless and mobile networks will utilize millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication to achieve significantly increased data rates. However, since mmWave radio signals experience high path loss, the operation of mmWave networks will require accurate channel models designed for specific deployment sites. In this paper, we focus on the deployment area of the PAWR COSMOS testbed [1, 2] in New York City and report extensive 28 GHz channel measurements. These include over 24 million power measurements collected from over 1,500 links on 13 sidewalks in 3 different sites and in different settings during March–June, 2019. Using these measurements, we study the effects of the setup and environments (e.g., transmitter height and seasonal effects). We then discuss the obtained path gain values and their fitted lines, and the resulting effective azimuth beamforming gain. Based on these results, we also study the link SNR values that can be supported on individual sidewalks and the corresponding theoretically achievable data rates. We believe that the results can inform the COSMOS testbed deployment process and provide a benchmark for other deployment efforts in dense urban areas.