The Influence of Elevation Angle on 60 GHz Near-Body Path Gain The currently under-utilised millimetre-wave (mm-Wave) bands are being considered as a possible solution to enhance capacity in future 5G networks. In the unlicensed 60 GHz band in particular, there is between 5–7 GHz of bandwidth available worldwide. Because of this spectrum availability and propagation characteristics which naturally support shorter range systems, it is unsurprising that the 60 GHz band is being exploited to support dense small cell networks. One of the obstacles which may however prevent future network densification is the fact that wireless signals at these frequencies are extremely sensitive to blockage by obstacles such as the human body.
Indoor mm-Wave wireless access points will necessarily be placed relatively high on walls and ceilings to reduce shadowing and blocking effects and to improve coverage. This means that the access point will be at a range of elevation angles with respect to the user equipment.
In this research project, a series of experiments were conducted in our anechoic chamber to investigate the influence of elevation angle on non-line-of-sight (NLOS) near-body path gain at 60 GHz. The analysis of our measurement results shows that, compared to low elevation angle scenarios, high elevation angles of incidence provide a much better performance. The paper is particularly useful for network planners.
Please contact Norbert Sagnard at Queen’s University Belfast (Centre for Wireless Innovation) for detailed information on these findings [n.sagnard@qub.ac.uk].
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