Enhancing 5G Cellular Connectivity: A Comprehensive Analysis of NR Sidelink with relay

This research addresses the challenges of 5G cellular connectivity in remote and obstructed environments by proposing an approach using New Radio (NR) sidelink relay communication. Traditional cellular networks face limitations in scenarios such as rural areas, forests, or disaster-prone locations, but our approach enhances connectivity using direct communication between user equipment (UE) devices. Sidelink communication reduces dependence on traditional network infrastructure. The proposed approach integrates Proximity Services and uses a Relay Selection Algorithm based on received signal strength indicators to optimize communication paths. The research methodology involves simulations using the Network Simulator 3 (NS3) platform, implementing various scenarios to evaluate the impact of NR sidelink relay on key performance metrics. We consider scenarios with and without relay nodes, both in Line-of-Sight (LoS) and Non-Line-of-Sight (NLoS) conditions. The simulation uses the 3GPP Urban Macro (UMa) pathloss model to recreate real-world challenges such as signal blocking, reflection, and interference that occur in urban landscapes. The results show that using NR sidelink relays significantly increases packet delivery ratio (PDR) and throughput, especially in demanding environments such as indoors with reduced signal strength. Our research emphasizes the significance of NR sidelink relay communication in enhancing 5G cellular network connectivity, and gives us information about trade-offs between increased throughput and the introduction of additional delays in the communication pathway.