Path loss channel models for 5G cellular communications in Riyadh city at 60 GHz

This paper presents propagation path loss channel models developed from real-field measurement campaigns that were conducted in indoor and outdoor Line-of-Site (LOS) propagation environments in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, using highly directional antennas at 60 GHz. The setup used in these measurements emulates the future fifth-generation (5G) cellular systems for both access and backhaul services, as well as for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications. We used our measurement data to develop the corresponding large-scale propagation path loss models at 60 GHz, using the log-distance and the floating intercept modeling approaches. It is shown that cellular radio links can be established in short-range distances up to 134 m indoors, and up to 77 m outdoors, when employing highly directional antennas at both the transmitter and receiver sides. It is also shown that path loss at 60 GHz in hot and sunny weather during the day, is higher than those obtained in cool and clear weather at night. This is partly due to solar radio noise effect arising from the intense solar radiation that characterizes summer afternoon in Riyadh city, which can cause a decrease in carrier-to-noise ratio at the input of receiving antennas. It is also partly due to the increase in thermal noise when electronics components in the measurement device become hot. The results presented here are thus very useful in 5G cellular design and infrastructure planning in the gulf region, where daytime temperature could reach 43° C or more.