Real World Field Trial for RIS-Aided Commercial 5G mmWave Wireless Communication

The performance and the functionality of the Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) are evaluated in a real-world environment at mmWave frequency range. The ability of the device to redirect beams from a 5G gNB to a user equipment in shadowed areas are studied. The effect of the RIS beamforming on the received signal quality and the achieved data rate without creating additional interference in the surrounding area is also investigated. The experimental results show that the RIS managed to successfully operate as a coverage extender and enhancer for the 5G network, maintaining an interference-free environment, while maintaining low power consumption by operating on a battery.