Performance analysis of 5G communication based on distance evaluation using the SIM8200EA-M2 module

The 5G technology promises that the mobile network will be used for human-centered applications. Therefore, it will also interconnect billions of smart devices autonomously, while ensuring security, coverage, and reliability. The scope of this paper is to analyze the effect of communication distance for 5G networks. Specifically, we evaluated the performance of 5G communication between an user equipment (UE) and a 5G base station (gNb) in a dense urban area from the city of Iasi, Romania, which are at different distances from each other, such as 100 m, 200 m, 300 m, and 400 m. A practical approach was chosen to perform the measurements, using SIM8200EA-M2 module for the communication with gNB. In order to see how distance can affect the performance of the 5G network, a number of performance indicators relevant to 5G communication were analyzed, such as Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Signal to Interference Noise Ratio (SINR), and jitter. As expected, the results illustrate a decrease of 5G performances with an increase of the distance between the UE and the gNB.