Millimeter-Wave Cellular Wireless Networks: Potentials and Challenges
05 Feb 2014-Vol. 102, Iss: 3, pp 366-385
TL;DR: Measurements and capacity studies are surveyed to assess mmW technology with a focus on small cell deployments in urban environments and it is shown that mmW systems can offer more than an order of magnitude increase in capacity over current state-of-the-art 4G cellular networks at current cell densities.
Abstract: Millimeter-wave (mmW) frequencies between 30 and 300 GHz are a new frontier for cellular communication that offers the promise of orders of magnitude greater bandwidths combined with further gains via beamforming and spatial multiplexing from multielement antenna arrays. This paper surveys measurements and capacity studies to assess this technology with a focus on small cell deployments in urban environments. The conclusions are extremely encouraging; measurements in New York City at 28 and 73 GHz demonstrate that, even in an urban canyon environment, significant non-line-of-sight (NLOS) outdoor, street-level coverage is possible up to approximately 200 m from a potential low-power microcell or picocell base station. In addition, based on statistical channel models from these measurements, it is shown that mmW systems can offer more than an order of magnitude increase in capacity over current state-of-the-art 4G cellular networks at current cell densities. Cellular systems, however, will need to be significantly redesigned to fully achieve these gains. Specifically, the requirement of highly directional and adaptive transmissions, directional isolation between links, and significant possibilities of outage have strong implications on multiple access, channel structure, synchronization, and receiver design. To address these challenges, the paper discusses how various technologies including adaptive beamforming, multihop relaying, heterogeneous network architectures, and carrier aggregation can be leveraged in the mmW context.
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TL;DR: The objective of this special issue is to disseminate the contributions in the field of ACNs and addresses the particular issues and reviews major mechanisms in three key areas: LAP-based communication networks, HAP- based Communication networks, and integrated ACNs.
Abstract: Owing to the explosive growth of requirements of rapid emergency communication response and accurate observation services, airborne communication networks (ACNs) have received much attention from both industry and academia. ACNs are subject to heterogeneous networks that are engineered to utilize satellites, high-altitude platforms (HAPs), and low-altitude platforms (LAPs) to build communication access platforms. Compared to terrestrial wireless networks, ACNs are characterized by frequently changed network topologies and more vulnerable communication connections. Furthermore, ACNs have the demand for the seamless integration of heterogeneous networks such that the network quality-of-service (QoS) can be improved. Thus, designing mechanisms and protocols for ACNs poses many challenges. To solve these challenges, extensive research has been conducted. The objective of this special issue is to disseminate the contributions in the field of ACNs. To present this special issue with the necessary background and offer an overall view of this field, three key areas of ACNs are covered. Specifically, this paper covers LAP-based communication networks, HAP-based communication networks, and integrated ACNs. For each area, this paper addresses the particular issues and reviews major mechanisms. This paper also points out future research directions and challenges.
218 citations
Cites background from "Millimeter-Wave Cellular Wireless N..."
...• Higher bandwidth: The mmWave may provide the promise of greater bandwidths combined with further gains via beamforming and spatial multiplexing from multi-element antenna arrays [62]....
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...small mmWave wavelengths enable large numbers of tiny antennas to be placed in small dimensions [62]....
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TL;DR: This paper proposes a directional cell discovery procedure where base stations periodically transmit synchronization signals, potentially in time-varying random directions, to scan the angular space and reveals two key findings: 1) digital beamforming can significantly outperform analog beamforming even whendigital beamforming uses very low quantization to compensate for the additional power requirements and 2) omnidirectional transmissions of the synchronization signals from the base station generally outperform random directional scanning.
Abstract: The acute disparity between increasing bandwidth demand and available spectrum has brought millimeter wave (mmWave) bands to the forefront of candidate solutions for the next-generation cellular networks. Highly directional transmissions are essential for cellular communication in these frequencies to compensate for higher isotropic path loss. This reliance on directional beamforming, however, complicates initial cell search since mobiles and base stations must jointly search over a potentially large angular directional space to locate a suitable path to initiate communication. To address this problem, this paper proposes a directional cell discovery procedure where base stations periodically transmit synchronization signals, potentially in time-varying random directions, to scan the angular space. Detectors for these signals are derived based on a Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT) under various signal and receiver assumptions. The detectors are then simulated under realistic design parameters and channels based on actual experimental measurements at 28 GHz in New York City. The study reveals two key findings: 1) digital beamforming can significantly outperform analog beamforming even when digital beamforming uses very low quantization to compensate for the additional power requirements and 2) omnidirectional transmissions of the synchronization signals from the base station generally outperform random directional scanning.
217 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: It is shown that hybrid beamforming with a small number of radio frequency (RF) chains can asymptotically approach the performance of fully digital beamforming for a sufficiently large number of transceiver antennas due to the sparse nature of the mmWave channels.
Abstract: Hybrid analog and digital beamforming is a promising candidate for large-scale mmWave MIMO systems because of its ability to significantly reduce the hardware complexity of the conventional fully-digital beamforming schemes while being capable of approaching the performance of fully-digital schemes. Most of the prior work on hybrid beamforming considers narrowband channels. However, broadband systems such as mmWave systems are frequency-selective. In broadband systems, it is desirable to design common analog beamformer for the entire band while employing different digital beamformers in different frequency sub-bands. This paper considers hybrid beamforming design for systems with OFDM modulation. First, for a SU-MIMO system where the hybrid beamforming architecture is employed at both transmitter and receiver, we show that hybrid beamforming with a small number of RF chains can asymptotically approach the performance of fully-digital beamforming for a sufficiently large number of transceiver antennas due to the sparse nature of the mmWave channels. For systems with a practical number of antennas, we then propose a unified heuristic design for two different hybrid beamforming structures, the fully-connected and the partially-connected structures, to maximize the overall spectral efficiency of a mmWave MIMO system. Numerical results are provided to show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing hybrid beamforming methods and for the fully-connected architecture the proposed algorithm can achieve spectral efficiency very close to that of the optimal fully-digital beamforming but with much fewer RF chains. Second, for the MU-MISO case, we propose a heuristic hybrid percoding design to maximize the weighted sum rate in the downlink and show numerically that the proposed algorithm with practical number of RF chains can already approach the performance of fully-digital beamforming.
215 citations
Cites background from "Millimeter-Wave Cellular Wireless N..."
...ing. I. INTRODUCTION Millimeter wave communication is a promising candidate that can address the challenge of bandwidth shortage for the next generation of wireless cellular communication systems [1]–[4]. Although pathloss and absorption are more severe in mmWave frequencies as compared to the conventional frequency bands, more antennas can be packed within a relatively small physical dimension in mm...
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TL;DR: Results show that the answers to channel performance metrics, such as spectrum efficiency, coverage, hardware/signal processing requirements, etc., are extremely sensitive to the choice of channel models.
Abstract: Fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks are expected to operate at both microwave and millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency bands, including frequencies in the range of 24 to 86 GHz. Radio propagation models are used to help engineers design, deploy, and compare candidate wireless technologies, and have a profound impact on the decisions of almost every aspect of wireless communications. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the channel models that will likely be used in the design of 5G radio systems. We start with a discussion on the framework of channel models, which consists of classical models of path loss versus distance, large-scale, and small-scale fading models, and multiple-input multiple-output channel models. Then, key differences between mmWave and microwave channel models are presented, and two popular mmWave channel models are discussed: the 3rd Generation Partnership Project model, which is adopted by the International Telecommunication Union, and the NYUSIM model, which was developed from several years of field measurements in New York City. Examples on how to apply the channel models are then given for several diverse applications demonstrating the wide impact of the models and their parameter values, where the performance comparisons of the channel models are done with promising hybrid beamforming approaches, including leveraging coordinated multipoint transmission. These results show that the answers to channel performance metrics, such as spectrum efficiency, coverage, hardware/signal processing requirements, etc., are extremely sensitive to the choice of channel models.
213 citations
Cites background from "Millimeter-Wave Cellular Wireless N..."
...However, increased spectrum bandwidth cannot come from existing microwave bands which are already congested and allocated for other purposes, thus new millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum bands of 30–300 GHz are being considered for 5G and beyond, since they have ample unused spectrum relative to the microwave bands [9] and are potential candidates for allocation to mobile services....
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TL;DR: In this paper, a broadband printed-dipole antenna and its arrays for 5G wireless cellular networks are proposed, which is fed by an integrated balun, which consists of a folded microstrip line and a rectangular slot.
Abstract: In this letter, we propose a broadband printed-dipole antenna and its arrays for fifth-generation (5G) wireless cellular networks. To realize a wide frequency range of operation, the proposed antenna is fed by an integrated balun, which consists of a folded microstrip line and a rectangular slot. For compactness, the printed dipole is angled at 45°. The single-element antenna yields an |S
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| <;-10-dB bandwidth of 36.2% (26.5-38.2 GHz) and a gain of 4.5-5.8 dBi. We insert a stub between two printed-dipole antennas and obtain a low mutual coupling of <;-20 dB for a 4.8-mm center-to-center spacing (0.42-0.61 λ at 26-38 GHz). We demonstrate the usefulness of this antenna as a beamforming radiator by configuring 8-element linear arrays. Due to the presence of the stubs, the arrays resulted in a wider scanning angle, a higher gain, and a lower sidelobe level in the low-frequency region.
209 citations
Cites background from "Millimeter-Wave Cellular Wireless N..."
...Several measurements have demonstrated the promise of ordersof-magnitude-greater bandwidths combined with further gain via beamforming and spatial multiplexing from multielement antenna arrays [2]....
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References
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Book•
15 Jan 1996
TL;DR: WireWireless Communications: Principles and Practice, Second Edition is the definitive modern text for wireless communications technology and system design as discussed by the authors, which covers the fundamental issues impacting all wireless networks and reviews virtually every important new wireless standard and technological development, offering especially comprehensive coverage of the 3G systems and wireless local area networks (WLANs).
Abstract: From the Publisher:
The indispensable guide to wireless communicationsnow fully revised and updated!
Wireless Communications: Principles and Practice, Second Edition is the definitive modern text for wireless communications technology and system design. Building on his classic first edition, Theodore S. Rappaport covers the fundamental issues impacting all wireless networks and reviews virtually every important new wireless standard and technological development, offering especially comprehensive coverage of the 3G systems and wireless local area networks (WLANs) that will transform communications in the coming years. Rappaport illustrates each key concept with practical examples, thoroughly explained and solved step by step.
Coverage includes:
An overview of key wireless technologies: voice, data, cordless, paging, fixed and mobile broadband wireless systems, and beyond
Wireless system design fundamentals: channel assignment, handoffs, trunking efficiency, interference, frequency reuse, capacity planning, large-scale fading, and more
Path loss, small-scale fading, multipath, reflection, diffraction, scattering, shadowing, spatial-temporal channel modeling, and microcell/indoor propagation
Modulation, equalization, diversity, channel coding, and speech coding
New wireless LAN technologies: IEEE 802.11a/b, HIPERLAN, BRAN, and other alternatives
New 3G air interface standards, including W-CDMA, cdma2000, GPRS, UMTS, and EDGE
Bluetooth wearable computers, fixed wireless and Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS), and other advanced technologies
Updated glossary of abbreviations and acronyms, and a thorolist of references
Dozens of new examples and end-of-chapter problems
Whether you're a communications/network professional, manager, researcher, or student, Wireless Communications: Principles and Practice, Second Edition gives you an in-depth understanding of the state of the art in wireless technologytoday's and tomorrow's.
17,102 citations
"Millimeter-Wave Cellular Wireless N..." refers background in this paper
...Also, the human body and many outdoor materials being very reflective, allow them to be important scatterers for mmW propagation [28], [30]....
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...However, these measurements were performed in an outdoor campus setting with much lower building density and greater opportunities for LOS connectivity than would be found in a typical urban deployment....
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...Despite the potential of mmW cellular systems, there are a number of key challenges to realizing the vision of cellular networks in these bands: • Range and directional communication: Friis’ transmis- sion law [54] states that the free space omnidirectional path loss grows with the square of the…...
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TL;DR: The motivation for new mm-wave cellular systems, methodology, and hardware for measurements are presented and a variety of measurement results are offered that show 28 and 38 GHz frequencies can be used when employing steerable directional antennas at base stations and mobile devices.
Abstract: The global bandwidth shortage facing wireless carriers has motivated the exploration of the underutilized millimeter wave (mm-wave) frequency spectrum for future broadband cellular communication networks. There is, however, little knowledge about cellular mm-wave propagation in densely populated indoor and outdoor environments. Obtaining this information is vital for the design and operation of future fifth generation cellular networks that use the mm-wave spectrum. In this paper, we present the motivation for new mm-wave cellular systems, methodology, and hardware for measurements and offer a variety of measurement results that show 28 and 38 GHz frequencies can be used when employing steerable directional antennas at base stations and mobile devices.
6,708 citations
"Millimeter-Wave Cellular Wireless N..." refers background or methods in this paper
...In both 28- and 73-GHz measurements, each point was classified as either being in a NLOS or LOS situation, based on a manual classification made at the time of the measurements; see [26] and [28]–[33]....
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...• Empirical NYC: These curves are based on the omnidirectional path loss predicted by our linear model (1) for the mmW channel with the parameters from Table 1, as derived from the directional measurements in [26]....
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...Details of the measurements can be found in [26], [28]– [33], [81]....
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...This tremendous potential has led to considerable recent interest in mmW cellular both in industry [7]–[9], [18], [19] and academia [20]–[26], with a growing belief that mmW bands will play a significant role in beyond 4G and 5G cellular systems [27]....
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...In particular, we survey our own measurements [26], [28]–[33] made in New York City (NYC) in both 28- and 73-GHz bands and the statistical models for the channels developed in [34]....
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TL;DR: The gains in multiuser systems are even more impressive, because such systems offer the possibility to transmit simultaneously to several users and the flexibility to select what users to schedule for reception at any given point in time.
Abstract: Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology is maturing and is being incorporated into emerging wireless broadband standards like long-term evolution (LTE) [1]. For example, the LTE standard allows for up to eight antenna ports at the base station. Basically, the more antennas the transmitter/receiver is equipped with, and the more degrees of freedom that the propagation channel can provide, the better the performance in terms of data rate or link reliability. More precisely, on a quasi static channel where a code word spans across only one time and frequency coherence interval, the reliability of a point-to-point MIMO link scales according to Prob(link outage) ` SNR-ntnr where nt and nr are the numbers of transmit and receive antennas, respectively, and signal-to-noise ratio is denoted by SNR. On a channel that varies rapidly as a function of time and frequency, and where circumstances permit coding across many channel coherence intervals, the achievable rate scales as min(nt, nr) log(1 + SNR). The gains in multiuser systems are even more impressive, because such systems offer the possibility to transmit simultaneously to several users and the flexibility to select what users to schedule for reception at any given point in time [2].
5,158 citations
"Millimeter-Wave Cellular Wireless N..." refers background in this paper
...These multiple antenna systems can be used to form very high gain, electrically steerable arrays, fabricated at the base station (BS), in the skin of a cellphone, or even within a chip [6], [10]–[17]....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe five technologies that could lead to both architectural and component disruptive design changes: device-centric architectures, millimeter wave, massive MIMO, smarter devices, and native support for machine-to-machine communications.
Abstract: New research directions will lead to fundamental changes in the design of future fifth generation (5G) cellular networks. This article describes five technologies that could lead to both architectural and component disruptive design changes: device-centric architectures, millimeter wave, massive MIMO, smarter devices, and native support for machine-to-machine communications. The key ideas for each technology are described, along with their potential impact on 5G and the research challenges that remain.
3,711 citations
TL;DR: The technical and business arguments for femtocells are overview and the state of the art on each front is described and the technical challenges facing femtocell networks are described and some preliminary ideas for how to overcome them are given.
Abstract: The surest way to increase the system capacity of a wireless link is by getting the transmitter and receiver closer to each other, which creates the dual benefits of higher-quality links and more spatial reuse. In a network with nomadic users, this inevitably involves deploying more infrastructure, typically in the form of microcells, hot spots, distributed antennas, or relays. A less expensive alternative is the recent concept of femtocells - also called home base stations - which are data access points installed by home users to get better indoor voice and data coverage. In this article we overview the technical and business arguments for femtocells and describe the state of the art on each front. We also describe the technical challenges facing femtocell networks and give some preliminary ideas for how to overcome them.
3,298 citations
"Millimeter-Wave Cellular Wireless N..." refers background in this paper
...Heterogeneous networks, or HetNets, have been one of the most active research areas in cellular standards bodies in the last five years [45], [48], [67], [68], with the main focus being intercell interference coordination and load balancing....
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