Performance analysis of fifth-generation cellular uplink

Fifth-generation cellular networks are expected to exhibit at least three primary physical-layer differences relative to fourth-generation ones: millimeter-wave propagation, antenna-array directionality, and densification of base stations. In this paper, the effects of these differences on the performance of single-carrier frequency-domain multiple-access uplink systems with frequency hopping are assessed. A new analysis, which is much more detailed than any other in the existing literature and accommodates actual base-station topologies, captures the primary features of uplink communications. Distance-dependent power-law, shadowing, and fading models based on millimeter-wave measurements are introduced. The beneficial effects of base-station densification, highly directional sectorization, and frequency hopping are illustrated.