A Measurement-Supported Extrapolation Framework for Lowband MIMO Coverage and Capacity Enhancement in Future AAS-Assisted Wireless Networks

Publication Name: Sensors

Publication Date: 2026-07-01

Volume: 26

Issue: 13

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Low-frequency mobile bands remain essential for wide-area and penetration-limited wireless coverage, but their limited channel bandwidth constrains the achievable capacity. This paper presents a measurement-supported extrapolation framework for assessing how lowband MIMO and future AAS-assisted operation can enhance coverage and single-user throughput-oriented capacity in wireless networks. The motivation is to evaluate whether such deployments can strengthen the lower-frequency layer as a robust coverage-and-capacity support layer for general traffic and reduce the load on midband and higher-frequency resources. Controlled radiated SISO and (Formula presented.) MIMO measurements were performed with a base-station simulator and commercial user equipment in representative lowband and midband frequency bands. Measured RSRP, CQI, BLER, MAC-layer throughput, and IP-layer throughput thresholds for a 25 Mbit/s downlink target were used for coverage estimation and conditional extrapolation. Under the Extended Hata model, the measured (Formula presented.) MIMO thresholds yielded a 43% larger estimated radius at 800 MHz than at 1800 MHz, while the same model indicated a 93% radius increase for a representative 10 dB AAS-related beamforming gain scenario. Conditional (Formula presented.) MIMO extrapolations indicated data rates above 100 Mbit/s in 10 MHz and above 200 Mbit/s with 10 MHz two-component-carrier aggregation under ideal high-CQI conditions. The results support the potential of future lowband AAS deployments. The AAS and higher-order MIMO results are scenario-based estimates rather than direct field validation.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/s26134297

Authors - 3