Experimental Characterization of LTE Wireless Links in High-Speed Trains

Abstract

Multimedia and data-based services experienced a nonstopping growth over the last few years. People are continuously on the move using devices to access multimedia contents or other data-based services. Due to this, railway companies are showing a great interest in deploying broadband mobile wireless networks in high-speed-trains with the aim of supporting both passenger services provisioning as well as automatic train control and signaling. Nowadays, the most widely used technology for communications between trains and the railway infrastructure is GSM for Railways (GSM-R); however, it has limited capabilities to support such advanced services. Due to its success in the mass market, Long Term Evolution (LTE) seems to be the best candidate to substitute GSM-R. In this paper, we experimentally characterize the downlink between an LTE Evolved NodeB (eNodeB) and a high-speed train in a commercial high-speed line. We consider two links: the one between the eNodeB and the antennas placed outdoors on the train roof, and the direct link between the eNodeB and a receiver inside the train. Such a characterization consists in assessing the path loss, the Signal to Noise Ratio, the K-Factor, the Power Delay Profile, the delay spread, and the Doppler Power Spectral Density.

Interactions Between Train Velocity and Cellular Link Throughput - An Extensive Study

“…There have been a number of high-speed train radio channels measurement campaigns conducted, for which Wang et al [8] provide a survey. Detailed active characterization of train LTE characteristics have been performed by Dominguez et al [9] using a test train which performs several trial runs towards an eNodeB under their control.…”

LTE for Trains - Performance Interactions Examined with DL, ML and Resampling

“…Fernandez et al [7] present a survey of environmental effects particular to wireless communication in a railway setting. Using a test train to perform trial runs towards an eNodeB under their control, Dominguez et al [5] performs an active characterization of LTE characteristics as observed by the train. An interaction effect between train velocity and MIMO rank was first noticed in early LTE train measurements reported by Alasali et al [1].…”

Multidimensional Channel Characteristics Analysis in High‐Speed Train Scenarios

“…Hence, Ricean K-factor is an important parameter for characterizing the HST channel envelope. The literature (Dominguez-Bolano et al, 2017;Luan et al, 2013) shows that the K-factor of the HST channel is log-normally distributed. Note that, in HST propagation environments, the railway typical structure influence can also be analyzed through the Doppler shift and small-scale fading (Yang, Ai, Guan, He, Zhong, et al, 2016).…”

“…The small‐scale fading of LTE‐R HST channels is analyzed in Zhou, Tao, Salous, and Liu 2019, Tian et al (2013), Luan et al (2013), Dominguez‐Bolano et al (2017), and He, Zhong, Ai, Ding, et al (2013), which is critical in the design of transmission schemes in the physical layer. The literature indicates that most radio channels contain line‐of‐sight (LoS) paths in the HST propagation environment, and the small‐scale fading can be fitted by the Ricean distribution.…”