On the Performance of Multi-IRS-Assisted Networks Across Real Urban, Suburban, and Rural Environments

Intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) is considered as a key technology for the sixth generation (6G) networks for creating a controlled environment for users to achieve higher data rates, throughput, and energy efficiency. IRS-assisted networks provide indirect line-of-sight (LoS) to non line-of-sight (NLoS) users, enabling them to achieve higher data rates. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance of IRS-assisted ultra-high frequency (UHF) networks in actual rural, sub-urban, and urban environment, in terms of rate coverage probability, spectral and energy efficiency. The actual building locations of all three locations with their heights are modeled as blockages. The analysis is carried out for different densities of BSs and IRS surfaces for different number of mobile users. Our analysis underlines the difference between the coverage probability of 2D versus 3D building areas. It also shows that the deployment of IRS surfaces significantly increases the rate per unit area of the conventional BS networks in practical environments. Our simulation results provide the optimal number of IRS elements and mobile users to achieve a certain rate coverage probability with maximum energy efficiency. Our results also highlight the optimal number of BSs and IRS surfaces for each location that can be deployed to achieve higher energy efficiency.