Creating and Operating Areas With Reduced Electromagnetic Field Exposure Thanks to Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

TL;DR

This paper proposes using Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) combined with joint RIS-M-MIMO beamforming to create areas with reduced electromagnetic field exposure, maintaining high data rates in challenging environments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to reduce EMF exposure in mobile networks by deploying RIS and joint beamforming, validated through ray-tracing simulations.

Findings

RIS placement is crucial for effective EMF reduction.

The proposed scheme maintains high data rates in reduced EMF areas.

Simulation results confirm the feasibility of creating such areas.

Abstract

Mobile network operators must provide a target quality of service within a target coverage area. Each generation of networks from the 2nd to the 5th has reached higher quality-of-service (QoS) targets and coverage area sizes. However, the deployment of new networks is sometimes challenged by Electromagnetic Field (EMF) exposure constraints. In this paper, to take into account these constraints, we assess the novel and recent concept of Reduced EMF Exposure Area. Such an area would be created and operated by a mobile network operator upon the request of its customers. In such an area, customers keep enjoying high data rate internet access while getting a reduced EMF exposure. To ensure this EMF exposure reduction, we propose to deploy Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) connected to the mobile network and exploit a joint RIS-M-MIMO uplink beamforming scheme. We use our ray-tracing-based simulation tool to visualize and characterize the Reduced EMF Exposure Area in a challenging environment in terms of propagation. Our simulations show that an operator can create and operate such an area under the condition that it carefully places the RIS in the environment.