Channel Fading Models for 5G and 6G

Abstract

As communication technologies evolve, existing channel models need to be improved as new spectral bands, environments, and the use cases present propagation characteristics that are not properly captured by the well-known classical models. Small-scale signal fading, due to multipath propagation and the relative movement between transmitter and receiver, is one of the most important propagation effects in a wide range of wireless scenarios. Accurate modeling of this phenomenon in the millimeter-wave band has become particularly important due to its foreseen use in the 5G standard of cellular networks and beyond. In this chapter, we review several current channel models for new generations of wireless communication systems. These channel models consider different propagation mechanisms, such as specular (dominant) waves, multicluster reception, and signal fluctuations, and are studied based on their applications in both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) links.