Radio Access Evaluation of Commercial 5G Service

Wireless communication networks are enhancing faster than anyone could imagine. As everybody knows, 5G is the future and the study of it is very valuable nowadays. In this context, this paper provides a characterization of the deployment of a 5G access network by an operator in Spain, identifying its capacity and the actual use to which it is being subjected today. For this, sizing methods and tools will be used to qualify the capacity of the cells currently displayed, determining a better performance than we might initially think. This paper proposes a theoretical model which identifies relevant parameters for cell dimensioning, and determining that an expansion of cell's capacity will be necessary at a 70% of load. Subsequently, this model is evaluated, analyzing real data via a vendor, showing a high performance, but discovering that some methods used in the current deployment, such as DSS, are, perhaps, not as expected. In addition, when comparing the 5G yield 4G, the power and potential future of the former is apparent.