MmWave ad hoc network coverage and capacity

Ad hoc networks consistently underperform compared to cellular networks. Protocols either create residual interference that leads to poor signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios or try to coordinate transmissions leading to fewer transmission opportunities. Communication with millimeter-wave (mmWave) devices offers the potential for higher bandwidth communication channels and reduced interference in ad hoc networks. This paper uses a stochastic geometry approach to characterize the coverage probability of a mmWave ad hoc network with directional antennas and random building blockages. The coverage probability in the presence of noise and both line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight interference is analyzed and used to derive the transmission capacity. Performance of mmWave is then analyzed in terms of area spectral efficiency and rate coverage. The results show that mmWave networks support larger densities, higher area spectral efficiencies, and better rate coverage compared to traditional, lower-frequency ad hoc networks.