28 GHz channel modeling using 3D ray-tracing in urban environments

In this paper, we analyze the radio channel characteristics at mmWave frequencies for 5G cellular communications in urban scenarios. 3D-ray tracing simulations in the downtown areas of Ottawa and Chicago are conducted in both the 2 GHz and 28 GHz bands. Each area has two different deployment scenarios, with different transmitter height and different density of buildings. Based on the observations of the ray-tracing experiments, important parameters of the radio channel model, such as path loss exponent, shadowing variance, delay spread and angle spread, are provided, forming the basis of a mmWave channel model. Based on the analysis and the 3GPP 3D-Spatial Channel Model (SCM) framework, we introduce a a preliminary mmWave channel model at 28 GHz.