Field Trials of Modern Cellular Networks in Diverse Operational Environments

The advent of 5G networks has presented network providers with new challenges related to network coverage, capacity, and service quality. Consequently, it is essential to conduct assessments and surveillance of network performance to detect irregularities and enhance performance. This is especially significant for NSA 5G networks because they are built on pre-existing 4G infrastructure and may not fully harness the capabilities of 5G technology. In our research, we emphasize the importance of evaluating system performance in diverse operational environments for newly deployed 5G networks. Using handheld devices, we analyzed key system parameters for both 4G and 5G networks across scenarios ranging from highways to mixed urban, suburban, and rural areas. The data revealed that while 5G offers substantial coverage, 4G often outperforms it in less dense operational environments like highways. However, in urban settings, 5G demonstrates similar or superior SINR values and significantly enhanced data rates due to its usage of bandwidth five times greater than that of 4G. The findings underscore the crucial role of beamforming and bandwidth in optimizing 5G performance.