Assessment of 5G as an ambient signal for outdoor backscattering communications

The aim of this article is to evaluate the applicability of 5G technology as a possible ambient signal for backscattering communications (AmBC). This evaluation considers both urban macro-cellular, small cell as well as rural highway environments. The simulations are performed in outdoor areas including analysis about 5G implementation strategies in different scenarios. Essential aspects of 5G radio network topology such as frequency domain (3.5 GHz and 26 GHz) and antenna locations (offering line-of-sight, LOS) are highlighted and turned to applicability scenarios with AmBC. The LOS scenarios are evaluated to determine the widest applicability area of 5G for AmBC. Typical AmBC applications are studied including collection of data from several sensors to receivers. Evaluation of the applicability of 5G was based on propagation related simulations and calculations utilising the ray tracing technique and the radar equation. The results demonstrate that 5G can be used as an ambient signal for backscattering communications for short ranges for typical sensor sizes. It is also observed that the range of communication is heavily dependent on the the size of the sensor.