Abstract

The explosive growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices necessitates high-throughput and low-latency communication infrastructure. The integration of 5G and millimeter-wave (mmWave) technologies at 38 GHz provides immense bandwidth potential but faces challenges in urban outdoor microcell environments due to signal attenuation, blockage, and interference. Despite its promise, 5G mmWave deployment in dense urban environments suffers from reduced spectral efficiency and connectivity loss due to non-line-of-sight (NLoS) conditions and environmental dynamics. This study investigates the performance of a 5G-IoT network at 38 GHz in a simulated urban microcell scenario using a ray-tracing-based channel model. A hybrid beamforming technique combined with spatial filtering is used to improve spectral efficiency. Simulations are conducted using MATLAB 5G Toolbox with parameters set to reflect realistic urban conditions, including user mobility and building obstructions. The proposed method demonstrates a 15-20% improvement in spectral efficiency compared to traditional beamforming methods, with throughput and SINR performance consistently outperforming existing schemes such as analog-only beamforming, conventional MIMO, and sectorized antenna models. The average spectral efficiency achieved is 9.2 bps/Hz under high user density.

Authors

N. Vithyalakshmi¹, C. Srivenkateswaran², S. Kumaresan³, B. Yuvaraj⁴
Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology, India^1,2, Kings Engineering College, India^3,4

Keywords

5G, mmWave, IoT, Spectral Efficiency, Urban Microcell