5G in the Wild: Performance of C-Band 5G-NR in Rural Low-Power Fixed Wireless Access

Abstract

In this paper, we have evaluated the performance of one of the first community-led rural applications of standalone 5G for fixed wireless access on the n77 band in the UK. This was achieved through a full-stack holistic monitoring platform, evaluating the overall performance and quality of experience of connections in the network. Our results show that 5G n77 networks can provide sub-gigabit connectivity in line of sight applications in rural areas, even when accounting for the impact stemming from infrastructural constraints. We have evidenced that our platform has identified opportunities to improve performance and capacity.