Coexistence of 5G mmWave Users with Incumbent Fixed Stations over 70 and 80 GHz

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether 5G mmWave systems can coexist with incumbent fixed stations in the 70 and 80 GHz bands, finding that high attenuation and deployment strategies largely prevent harmful interference.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of fixed station deployment and interference from 5G users using real-world data and case studies in Chicago.

Findings

Most fixed stations experience interference below the noise floor.

Deployment strategies and high attenuation significantly reduce interference.

5G coexistence with fixed stations is feasible with current deployment practices.

Abstract

Millimeter wave spectrum access over the 70GHz and 80GHz is central to unlocking gigabit connectivity and meeting the explosive growth of mobile traffic. A pressing question, however, is whether fifth-generation (5G) systems can harmoniously coexist with the incumbents of these bands, which are primarily point-to-point fixed stations (FSs). To this end, we thoroughly analyze the impact of 5G coexistence on FSs. Specifically, we first analyze the geometry of existing FSs' deployment using actual databases of these stations. Then, we present a case study on the interference generated from users towards FSs in two populated areas in Chicago, where we use actual building databases to accurately compute the aggregate interference. The analysis and simulation results reveal that the deployment strategy of FSs and the high attenuation losses at 70/80GHz significantly limit the 5G interference, with the majority of FSs experiencing interference levels well below the noise floor.