Monostatic Backscatter Communication in Urban Microcellular Environment Using Cellular Networks

Backscatter communication offers a reliable and energy-efficient alternative to conventional radio systems. With the additional capability of wireless power transmission, the backscatter tags can work in a completely battery-less manner. Due to these exciting features, the researchers from academia and industry are extensively investigating its utility as an enabler of massive Internet of Things (IoT) networks. However, before reaping the benefits of ambient backscatter communications, it is necessary to evaluate its feasibility and operability for large scale networks. To do so, this research paper provides an empirical study of the real city wide deployment of monostatic wireless powered backscatter tags in Helsinki region. The coverage and outage performance has been assessed for both indoor and outdoor conditions using a sophisticated 3D ray tracing simulations. Whereby, the indoor scenario consists of several story buildings with low and high loss materials. Moreover, an indepth evaluation of energy shortage at backscatter tags has also been provided which sheds the light on the importance of wireless power transmission for such networks. The results provided here would be helpful in upscaling the practical deployment of backscatter tags.