Mapping and Analyzing Signal Coverage in 4G/5G Mobile Networks

Abstract

This thesis presents a novel and cost-effective approach to mapping and analyzing signal coverage in 4G/5G mobile networks. The research involved constructing a measurement device, developing a visualization and analysis tool, and conducting extensive measurements in both static and mobile settings. Data was collected across four LTE bands (Band 1, 3, 7, and 20) and one NR band (Band 78) in Brno, Czech Republic. The study examined the impact of various transport methodologies on measurement accuracy and identified daily patterns in signal strength and quality. A strong correlation was found between RSRP, RSSI, RSRQ, and RSSNR, and the study further estimated dormitory occupancy based on RSRP values. The thesis explored three interpolation methods (bilinear, nearest neighbor, and cubic convolution) for coverage estimation, concluding that the bilinear method is preferred while the cubic method performs best with high-density data. These findings contribute significantly to the understanding of signal coverage in 4G/5G networks, enabling the optimization of network performance and enhancement of user experience.