Modelling of exclusion zones for 5G/NR 3.5 GHz mMIMO antennas based on real traffic profiling

March 12, 2026

This thesis aims to develop a model capable of estimating exclusion zones for 5G/NR 3.5 GHz massive Multiple Input Multiple Output antennas based on real traffic profiling, as well as generating statistical results on said traffic data. This thesis has been developed in collaboration with NOS, who provided the data on the power profiles of base stations across the metropolitan area of Lisbon. The model generates CDFs, PDFs and other illustrating statistical results on a beam, segment and sector level, for all base stations in the dataset. Furthermore, field measurements were performed in the metropolitan region of Lisbon, in order to assess typical electric fields and comprehend power distribution across the frequency spectrum in typical scenarios. Procedure, locations and devices used in these measurements are provided. This thesis concludes that an analysis of the spatial power distribution near the antenna is necessary. Average radiation exposure across cell segments can differ by up to a factor of 2.61, even when antennas operate well below full transmission capacity. Furthermore, using maximum or upper-percentile power values instead of mean levels in exclusion zone calculations increases zone dimensions by up to 531%.

Authors in the community:

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  M

  Miguel Filipe Nunes Ribeiro

  ist196287

Supervisors of this institution:

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  L

  Luís Manuel De Jesus Sousa Correia

  ist12076

electrical-engineering-electronic-engineering-information-engineering - Electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering

eng - English

Instituto Superior Técnico