Capacity and Power Consumption of Multi-Layer 6G Networks Using the Upper Mid-Band

TL;DR

This paper presents a new system model to evaluate the capacity and power consumption of multi-layer 6 G networks utilising the upper mid-band (FR3) and shows that strategic 6 G deployments, non-co-located with existing 5G sites, significantly enhance throughput.

Abstract

This paper presents a new system model to evaluate the capacity and power consumption of multi-layer 6G networks utilising the upper mid-band (FR3). The model captures heterogeneous 4G, 5G, and 6G deployments, analyzing their performance under different deployment strategies. Our results show that strategic 6G deployments, non-co-located with existing 5G sites, significantly enhance throughput, with median and peak user rates of 300 Mbps and exceeding 1 Gbps, respectively. We also emphasize the importance of priority-based cell reselection and beam configuration to fully leverage 6G capabilities. While 6G implementation increases power consumption by 33%, non-colocated deployments strike a balance between performance and power consumption.

Figures (6)

• Figure 1: Inhomogeneous UE distribution served by a non-co-located 4G/5G/6G deployment, with 6G deployed at the hotspots.
• Figure 2: Horizontal (left) and vertical (right) diagrams of the 64 beams generated using a 2D-DFT codebook with $M^{\rm h} = 16 \times M^{\rm v} = 4$ antenna elements in a single polarization. Horizontal and vertical boresight angles are set to 30º and 90º, respectively.
• Figure 3: Downlink UE rates (no 6G deployments included).
• Figure 4: Downlink UE rates (6G deployments included).
• Figure 5: Downlink UE rates with and without cell reselection, where 'noRel' denotes no cell reselection.