5G Radio Access Experiments on Coverage Expansion Using Metasurface Reflector at 28 GHz

We experimentally verify the effectiveness of metasurface reflectors in expanding 5G coverage into non-line-of sight (NLoS) regions in the 28-GHz frequency band. In outdoor open space measurements, the measured beam shape is well matched with that designed with an 18-degree beamwidth. Improvements in the beam-reference-signal received power (BRSRP) and downlink (DL) throughput of approximately 15 dB and 100%, respectively, are observed over a 35-m range in a NLoS area in a real urban environment. Consequently, the effectiveness of the metasurface reflectors in expanding 5G coverage into the NLoS region are experimentally verified in a real urban environment using a 5G testbed system.