A Comprehensive Ceiling Analysis of the Physical Layer Performance of the 5G NR

Modern mobile communication systems, such as Fifth-Generation (5G) technology and beyond 5G, need to exhibit increased capacity, high level of efficiency, improved performance, low end-to-end delay, support to massive number of connections, quality of service and experience, among other requirements. A suboptimal configuration and/or operation of any component of the 5G network can significantly degrade the overall system performance. The physical layer of the radio access network plays a crucial role in the performance of the 5G system. Within this layer, three of the main components that have a significant impact are the characteristics of the propagation channels in which they operate, the synchronization scheme, and the channel estimation accuracy. These components directly influence the system performance and effectiveness. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive ceiling analysis of the physical layer of the 5G implemented according to the 3GPP standard. The evaluation of the system encompasses different and standardized channel conditions, synchronization schemes, and channel estimation methods. Rigorous and extensive simulations were conducted using the Matlab 5G NR toolbox for the PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel). The nodes were configured to operate in both macro-urban and indoor environments. The Clustered Delay Line (CDL) and Tapped Delay Line (TDL) channel models are evaluated under ideal channel estimation and synchronization conditions in each case. Subsequently, more realistic and practical configurations were considered. The simulation results provide quantitative insights of the maximum achievable throughput under various channel environments, including line-of-sight and nonline-of-sight conditions. These results help identify the specific physical layer components that have a greater impact on the throughput of the system. By pinpointing these components, researchers can focus their efforts on developing techniques aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the future beyond 5G networks.