Comprehensive Analysis of Cellular Uplink Performance in a Dense Stadium Deployment

Abstract

Uplink performance remains a critical limitation in modern 5G networks, where UEs have to balance limited transmission power against propagation challenges. We conducted extensive measurements in the University of Notre Dame's football stadium, which has a seating capacity of 80,000 spectators, evaluating network behavior under both unloaded (pregame) and severely congested (game day) conditions, with a focus on uplink performance. Analyzing PHY-layer metrics captured via the Rohde & Schwarz QualiPoc, we show that high-frequency TDD bands in the uplink are severely bottlenecked in both the spectral and temporal domains. Despite transmitting near maximum 3GPP power limits, propagation loss inherent to high-frequency bands restricts UEs to low MCS indices and low PRB allocations, even in unloaded networks. This inability to achieve wideband allocation is further compounded by the significantly smaller number of uplink slots compared to downlink slots in TDD frames. Consequently, we observe a severe disparity between uplink and downlink: while high-frequency TDD bands carry the majority of downlink throughput, the network relies heavily on lower-frequency FDD bands for uplink. Additional measurements under favorable propagation conditions around a Verizon COW deployment located in the stadium parking lot also show that this limitation is not solely propagation-driven; rather, the duplexing scheme itself also plays a significant role. Even when TDD bands achieve higher or comparable MCS, FDD bands have a performance edge in the uplink due to the restrictive, downlink-heavy TDD architecture. These findings emphasize the indispensable role of low-frequency FDD spectrum in sustaining uplink capacity, providing insights that will help guide the design of next-generation wireless networks.

Figures (11)

• Figure 1: Measurement spots at the stadium seating bowl.
• Figure 2: Measurement spots surrounding Verizon's Cell on Wheels (COW) located in stadium parking lot.
• Figure 3: Uplink transmit power and MCS distributions across different bands under unloaded (pregame) and loaded (game day) conditions. Note the heavy concentration of transmit power near the 3GPP limit for high-frequency TDD bands (Verizon n77, T-Mobile n41), despite which the Uplink MCS remains severely degraded. Bands displaying only a right-sided violin indicate that the band that was only detected during game day conditions, with no corresponding data points during the pregame measurements.
• Figure 4: Comparison of downlink and uplink performance metrics on game day across identical PCIs for T-Mobile and Verizon's representative low- and high-frequency bands.
• Figure 5: Median difference between downlink and uplink PRB allocation ratios across pregame (upper) and game day (lower) scenarios. The substantial gap in high-frequency bands between downlink and uplink even in the unloaded network highlights the inability of the UE to access the wideband high-frequency channel due to poor signal propagation and transmit power constraints.