System Performance Assessment in Dual-Band Device-to-Device MIMO Channels

Device-to-Device (D2D) communications has been embraced as a novel approach for extending coverage in fifth-generation (5G and beyond) wireless networks. Throughput and reliability assessment of such wireless networks are therefore of utmost importance for D2D communication systems design. In this paper, we consider the capacity results of wireless propagation channels in two 5G modes namely the sub-6 GHz centimeter-wave (cm-wave) and 60 GHz millimeter-wave (mm-wave) bands for a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) D2D fading channel. Results presented in this paper were obtained from propagation channel measurements jointly conducted in both cm-wave (2-6 GHz) and mm-wave (59-63 GHz) bands using an 8 × 8 MIMO virtual array setup in an outdoor environment. These measurements were conducted at the exact same locations (with constituents unchanged) in both cm-wave and mm-wave bands for comparability of results. Capacity values were computed using two power policies (with and without channel state information (CSI)). We also investigated the eigenmode spectral structure to understand the spatial correlatedness of the channel and the Rician K-factor to analyze small-scale fading in the channel. The results presented in this paper can be used by wireless systems designer for assessing the performance of D2D systems operating in the cm-wave and/or mm-wave bands for this type of environment.