mmWave phased-array with hemispheric coverage for 5th generation cellular handsets

A first-of-the-kind 28 GHz antenna solution for the upcoming 5^th generation cellular communication is presented in detail. Extensive measurements and simulations ascertain the proposed 28 GHz antenna solution to be highly effective for cellular handsets operating in realistic propagating environments.

I. Introduction

The global mobile data traffic is projected to grow an astonishing 13-fold in the next five years [1]. By 2017, an average mobile user is estimated to consume 2 gigabytes of data per month as opposed to 201 megabytes in 2012. Such forecasts have prompt the wireless community into a vigorous exploration of a next generation cellular network with the capacity to sustain the ever growing data traffic. The classical Shannon-Hartley theorem [2] indicates that the wireless community must now seriously consider utilizing the relatively obscure millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency bands for enhanced data throughout. Recent studies in [3], [4] demonstrate the feasibility of 28 GHz frequency band for 5^th generation (“5G”) cellular applications. However, realization of a beam-steering antenna applicable to cellular handsets remains one of the biggest bottlenecks.