Experimental Network Performance Analysis from a CBRS-Based Private Mobile Network

Accurately measuring propagation loss is crucial for Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) network planning, deployment, and successful spectrum sharing among CBRS users. The currently used propagation models, such as the Irregular Terrain Model (ITM) and Extended Hata (eHata) in the CBRS network, disregard significant environmental factors like foliage or clutter data, making the loss prediction unreliable. Additionally, current experimental studies on CBRS propagation are limited, with methodologies often relying on expensive measurement tools. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a CBRS network propagation framework, which includes a signal measurement system made of affordable, commercial off-the-shelf electronic devices and advanced empirical data analysis. To validate the framework, an extensive measurement campaign is conducted in a live CBRS network in Buffalo, NY. The empirical path loss results have been compared with existing analytical models, with the alpha-beta (α-β) model giving the best path loss prediction. The methodology and framework presented in this paper can be applied to other network environments, helping researchers and engineers estimate network performance during the design phase, thus saving resources.