Performance Evaluation of IRS-Enhanced mmWave Connectivity for 6G Industrial Networks

Private networks are a key innovation in the ongoing 5G era and the anticipated 6G landscape. The utilization of mmWave spectrum shows great potential for improving reliability in mobile and mission-critical industrial applications. Despite promising advancements demonstrated in controlled labs, deploying mmWave networks poses technical challenges, especially in dense, metallic industrial environments. This highlights the critical need for industry stakeholders to overcome associated technical challenges, thereby ensuring that end-to-end performance meets tailored requirements. Facilitating the transition of laboratory-validated benchmarks into practical industrial environments, we deploy our STING Network Companion as a distributed KPI Monitoring and Control System in a large-scale industrial manufacturing environment. Our results confirm the robust performance of mmWave technology in large-scale industrial environments, providing reliable connectivity even in most NLOS conditions. In addition, the deployment of our passive Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) solution HELIOS demonstrates significant improvements through strategic placement, restoring LOS performance in obstructed locations seamlessly and therefore proving its applicability to real-world industrial applications. Our study validates the promising potential of mmWave frequencies to address challenges in realistic environments, thereby supporting its further adoption in industrial applications.