Opportunities and Limitations in Radar Sensing Based on 5G Broadband Cellular Networks

In recent years, the 5G network has been deployed more and more densely. The signal coverage area is increasing, and in many countries, it allows the use of the new radio in most large cities. This makes it possible to use 5G network signals for telecommunication and remote sensing purposes. This article describes the opportunities and limitations of using 5G signals for radars. The waveform characteristics of the 5G network were tested and compared, range analyses were made, and the possibilities of detecting targets using impulse signals sent for various purposes in the network were examined. The article presents measurable properties of 5G signals that allow one to detect targets. Also, possibilities of exploiting 5G signalling for radar applications are provided. Moreover, the main limitations of using 5G waveforms and the general 5G architecture for radar purposes are discussed. Finally, a preliminary concept validation is shown with experimental results of car detection using 5G network-based passive radar.