On Small Terminal Antenna Correlation and Impact on MIMO Channel Capacity

Analysis of the antenna correlation at the design stage is made, and then compared to real life performance in a typical propagation environment and in typical use cases. A traditional design flow is followed and conclusions are made on the performance of several handsets. These conclusions are then contrasted to measurements and an explanation is sought for the variations. It is concluded that correlation estimation and optimization at the design stage, using conventional methods, brings little benefit in real life situations. Impact on channel capacity has been the figure of merit.