Design and Performance Analysis of Sub-THz/THz Mini-Cluster Architectures for Dense Urban 5G/6G Networks.

Area of Science:

• Wireless Communications
• Network Architecture
• Terahertz Technology

Background:

• The evolution from 5G New Radio (NR) to Beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G necessitates advanced network architectures.
• Dense urban environments demand ultra-high data rates, minimal latency, and massive connectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• Propose a mini-cluster architecture for sub-Terahertz (sub-THz) and Terahertz (THz) bands.
• Enhance 5G infrastructure for B5G/6G capabilities, focusing on urban hotspot coverage and critical applications.

Main Methods:

• Integrated mini Base Stations (mBS), Distributed Edge Computing Units (DECUs), and Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS).
• Conducted link budget analysis, coverage/capacity planning, and propagation modeling for urban environments.
• Performed simulations for case study cities (Quito, Guayaquil).

Main Results:

• Achieved peak data rates up to 100 Gbps and sub-100 μs latency.
• Demonstrated tenfold energy efficiency gains compared to conventional 5G.
• Validated the framework's effectiveness in complex urban settings.

Conclusions:

• THz communications are crucial for 5G evolution towards B5G/6G.
• Ultra-dense, low-latency mini-cluster deployments are key for next-generation services.
• The proposed framework offers a scalable approach for early sub-THz/THz deployments in metropolitan areas.