On the Co-existence of TD-LTE and Radar over 3.5 GHz Band: An Experimental Study

TL;DR

This experimental study investigates how commercial TD-LTE systems operate in the 3.5 GHz band amidst pulsed radar interference, revealing resilience at typical deployment distances but vulnerability at very close proximities.

Contribution

The paper provides empirical data on TD-LTE performance under pulsed radar interference, highlighting conditions of susceptibility and robustness in real-world scenarios.

Findings

LTE remains unaffected at typical deployment distances from pulsed radar signals.

Performance degradation occurs only at very close distances (1-2 km) with overlapping frequencies.

Experimental validation of LTE-radar coexistence in the 3.5 GHz band.

Abstract

This paper presents a pioneering study based on a series of experiments on the operation of commercial Time-Division Long-Term Evolution (TD-LTE) systems in the presence of pulsed interfering signals in the 3550-3650 MHz band. TD-LTE operations were carried out in channels overlapping and adjacent to the high power SPN-43 radar with various frequency offsets between the two systems to evaluate the susceptibility of LTE to a high power interfering signal. Our results demonstrate that LTE communication using low antenna heights was not adversely affected by the pulsed interfering signal operating on adjacent frequencies irrespective of the distance of interfering transmitter. Performance was degraded only for very close distances (1-2 km) of overlapping frequencies of interfering transmitter.