Field Measurement for Antenna Configuration Comparison in Challenging NLOS Locations

Abstract

This article has two main objectives. First, it describes the practical challenges of field trials and proposes a developed test method. Secondly, the test method is used to compare uplink performance with different antenna technologies when user equipment does not have a line of sight to the evolved Node B. Both passive and active antenna configurations were used in the performance evaluation. Modern cellular networks have high demands for capacity, reliability, and availability. The verification of a network's configuration and technological features is essential to guarantee network performance, and the performance of a network must be verified by laboratory testing or field trials; such trials produce experimental knowledge of technology features and configurations. Technological and environmental factors must also be considered before performing mobile network field-testing. Our work showed that moving user equipment produces more reliable and repeatable results than measurements with stationary user equipment. Our antenna configuration comparison study revealed that in the uplink direction, active antenna system beam control could significantly increase the uplink capacity in non-line-of-sight conditions. Index Terms-2-and 4-way RX diversity, AAS, field trial, horizontal beamforming, non-line-of-sight environment, MIMO, uplink capacity improvement, vertical beamforming.

In-Situ RF Measurements of EMFs for Human Exposure Assessment Due to Modern Cellular Base Stations

“…Currently, the most widespread technologies for cellular communications are GSM (2G), UMTS (3G) and LTE (4G) [25], [27]. For each of them, specific extrapolation techniques have been defined and further studies are in progress for defining suitable extrapolation techniques for the incoming 5G systems [21], [28].…”

“…The whole measurement chain assures a total standard uncertainty equal to 1.5 dB [25]. The measurement station has been configured for collecting the electric fields in two bands (800 MHz-frequency and 1800 MHz-frequency bands, respectively) and three mobile operators (designated as OP1, OP2, and OP3).…”