Blog

The 5G mmWave rollout has provided users with a subpar experience in obtaining coverage on their mobile devices. The reason for this is that mmWave operates at a high frequency, where the signal propagation attenuates rapidly. I work with Nokia Bell Labs to measure mmWave propagation through glass, around corners, and over tops of buildings. For outdoor-to-indoor scenarios, we collected over 2,000 link measurements across seven buildings, finding that Low-e glass attenuates signals by up to 20 dB, while older buildings support up to 1.4 Gbps at 175 m. For around-corner and over-top, we gathered 1,300 links, improving propagation models by 5 dB RMSE over 3GPP UMi-NLOS standards. I also have started to investigate the future potential of using mmWave backscatter as a form of opportunistic sensing, deploying a quasi-monostatic radar in 251 locations across 27 rooms, revealing a lognormal distribution of backscattered power. Finally, I explore unintended consequences of 5G mmWave on sensitive microwave radiometers, developing a Spectrum Consumption Model with IBM Research to balance communication and interference.