Real-Time Data Measurement Methodology to Evaluate the 5G Network Performance Indicators

The 5G technology offers a higher complexity than earlier generations, introducing a new type of network designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together, including vehicles, smart devices, and road infrastructure, while ensuring security, coverage, and increased performance. Therefore, following all these aspects introduced by 5G technology, different reliability assessments are necessary for optimal operation. This paper presents a practical method of real-time data measurement, which aims to obtain the necessary information to thoroughly evaluate the 5G network. The used hardware setup is based on the SIM8200EA-M2 platform for connecting to different mobile terminals. Moreover, different types of measurements are illustrated, as well as the validation of various 5G network parameters. To evaluate the 5G network performance, several performance indicators resulting from data measurement were analyzed, such as 5G network coverage, signal strength and quality, signal-to-noise ratio, throughput, communication channel quality, and transmission power. The obtained results deal with different aspects of cellular communication and can be used to analyze the 5G networks performance.