Millimeter wave small cell backhaul: An analysis of diffraction loss in NLOS links in urban canyons

The deployment of small cells to address capacity and coverage problems in urban environments has resulted in the need for high capacity short range backhaul systems. In this paper, a NLOS small cell backhaul system based on diffracted signals, operating mmW technology is proposed. An analysis of diffraction loss using the Single Knife Edge diffraction model for mmW frequencies is presented. The results obtained show the viability of the use of the model for predicting diffraction loss at mmW frequencies. Furthermore, experimental results of a prototype small cell backhaul based on LoS operation are presented. Based on signals levels obtained, the results show the suitability of the system for LoS communications. However, innovative solutions are required to enable NLOS communications.